34« THE GREY PLOVER 



beyond the reach of frost, and so of their bills, and resort to the 

 muddy or sandy sea-shore. In the Hebrides it is said that they do 

 not migrate at all, but simply content themselves with shifting 

 from the moors to the shore and back again, according to the weather. 

 In the northern parts of France, on the other hand, they are only 

 known as passengers on their way to the south. From making 

 their appearance in the rainy season they are there called pluviers, 

 whence our name Plover, which, however, is supposed by some 

 to have been given to them for their indicating by their movements 

 coming changes in the weather, in which respect indeed their skill 

 is marvellous. 



The Golden Plover, sometimes called also Yellow Plover, and 

 Green Plover, is found at various seasons in most countries of 

 Europe ; but the Golden Plovers of Asia and America are considered 

 to be different species. 



THE GREY PLOVER 



squatArola helvetica 



Winter — forehead, throat, and under plumage, white, spotted on the neck 

 and flanks with grey and brown ; upper plumage dusky brown, mottled 

 with white and ash colour ; long axillary feathers black or dusky ; tail 

 white, barred with brown and tipped with reddish ; bdl black ; irides 

 dusky ; feet blackish grey. Summer— lore, neck, breast, belly, and 

 flanks, black, bounded by white ; upper plumage and tail black and 

 white. Length eleven and a half inches. Eggs olive, spotted with 

 black. 



Many of the Waders agree in wearing, during winter, plumage in 

 a great measure of a different hue from that which characterizes 

 them in summer ; and, as a general rule, the winter tint is lighter 

 than that of summer. This change is, in fact, but an extension of 

 the law which clothes several of the quadrupeds with a dusky or a 

 snowy fur in accordance with the season. The Grey Plover, as 

 seen in England, well deserves its name, for, as it frequents our 

 shores in the winter alone, it is only known to us as a bird grey 

 above and white below. But in summer the under plumage is 

 decidedly black, and in this respect it bears a close resemblance to 

 the Golden Plover, with which, in spite of the presence of a rudi- 

 mentary fourth toe, it is closely allied. My friend, the Rev. W. S. 

 Hore, informs me that he has seen them in Norfolk wearing the fuU 

 black plumage in May. The occurrence of the bird, however, in 

 this condition, in England, is exceptional ; while in the northern 

 regions, both of the Old and New World, it must be unusual to see 

 an adult bird in any other than the sable plumage of summer. 

 The Grey Plover is a bird of extensive geographical range, being 

 known in Japan, India, New Guinea, the Cape of Good Hope, Egypt, 



