222 ORNAMENTS OF THE VELD 



It lays two to four eggs of a pale yellowish colour, thickly 

 speckled with black. 



The Blacksmith Plover feeds on worms, insects, snails 

 and similar animal matter, thus being of practical benefit 

 to the farmer. 



The Crowne'd Lapwing {Steph-anibyx coronatus), called by 

 the Boers the Kivietji', is too well known to require much of 

 a description. Its black head adorned with a white V- 

 shaped mark, long red legs and pale drabish-brown back 

 will serve to distinguish it from the other plovers. Length, 

 12 inches. 



It is distributed throughout South Africa except the 

 Natal littoral. It is an exceedingly common bird on the 

 flats of the Orange Free' State, where it usually congre- 

 gates into flocks of varying number. It affords good sport 

 when hunted with a dog, circling in the air above the canine, 

 and giving vent to loud plaintive cries. Its characteristic 

 call is truly typical of the veld, and is well known to every 

 South African sportsman. It may also often be heard on 

 moonlight nights. 



It is a good friend of the farmer, feeding on insects of 

 various kinds and weed seeds. The flesh is palatable. 



It lays its eggs — ^usually three in number and of a yeUowish- 

 brown colour blotched with dark and purplish-brown — in^a 

 slight hollow on the ground. 



The Black-winged Plover (S. melanopterus) has the front 

 of the crown white and the hinder portion slate-coloured. 

 Length, 10| inches. 



Although fairly widely distributed, it is not a very common 

 bird. Like the Crowned Lapwing and the Coursers, it is 

 very partial to burnt stretches of veld, where it usually nests, 

 laying its three or four eggs in a depression in the soil ; they 



