KILLDEER— LAPWING 103 



One of the commonest of our Plovers is the Killdee, 

 or Killdeer, so called from its notes, uttered loudly and 

 rapidly when the bird is alarmed. It is greyish-brown 

 above and white below, has a black band on the breast, 

 and a black ring round the neck. Another distinguish- 

 ing mark is a white line over the eye. The Killdeer 

 resembles the preceding species, but is considerably 

 larger. It feeds both by day and by night, on worms, 

 beetles, grasshoppers, and so on, in marshes and, in 

 winter, along the shore. 



The Little Kentish Plover is a tiny bird, easily 

 recognisable by its incomplete chest-band. It is com- 

 mon in many parts of Europe, but is somewhat rare 

 in England, being met with most frequently in that 

 country along the shingle beaches of Kent. See Plate 

 30, Fig. 174. 



The Piping Plover is a small form found in eastern 

 North America, ashy-brown above and white below. 



The Lapwing, or Peewit, is another bird of this 

 tribe that is common in Europe, especially so in 

 England, where its eggs are highly esteemed for food, 

 many of them being sold in the markets of London 

 under the name of Plovers' eggs — a practice that 

 must result in reducing its numbers. See Plate 30, 

 Fig. 171. 



The male bird is very beautiful in colour, iridescent 

 green and purple, under-parts white, the long crest 

 and top of the head black and the feet red. 



The eggs of the Lapwing vary greatly in colour. 

 They are laid in slight hollows in the ground, little or 

 no nest being made for their reception. On the ap- 

 proach of winter these birds collect in large flocks, dis- 



