78 British Birds with their Nests and Eggs. 



spotted and blotched witli purplish-grey and deep brown. Length 2 inches by 



rather less than ij. 



The Golden Plover is often absurdly tame in the breeding season — though less 

 so in our country, where birds are seldom able to behave towards man with any 

 degree of confidence — and is, at other times, wild and wary. Their usual note is 

 a loud melodious double whistle ; but they have two other notes in the breeding 

 season, the one an equally loud and melodious triple whistle, with the accent on 

 the longer middle syllable; the other note, a singular, but delightful and liquid, 

 rippling love-note. On migration they travel chiefly by the coast lines, but I 

 have heard the double whistle passing high above Hyde Park in the autumn, and 

 have seen Golden Plovers passing through Northamptonshire in spring. They 

 may be seen in vast flocks, occasionally, on the sea coast in autumn ; one I 

 especially remember noticing, with Mr. W. B. Clarke, which must have numbered 

 many thousands of birds. In the distance it looked like a great cloud of eddying 

 smoke ; nearer at hand we saw it to be an immense whirling flock of Golden 

 Plovers, executing most graceful and regular evolutions — now a dusky cloud with 

 backs turned our way — now, and in an instant, a white one, with under parts 

 towards us, " on the other tack." This was on September 2nd, 1886. Golden 

 Plovers leave the fells in August, but return erratically according to weather, and 

 I have shot them there on the last day of Grouse shooting (December loth). In 

 the south they are numerous on the coasts, in open weather, during the winter, 

 and, to a less extent, inland, keeping chiefly to the neighbourhood of rivers. 

 They feed mostly during the night, especially when there is a moon, but by the 

 sea their feeding time is perforce regulated by the tide. They feed on slugs, 

 worms, and insects, and generally have a little vegetable matter in their stomachs ; 

 when by the sea, on small mollusca, Crustacea, and worms, etc. During the day, 

 when not obliged by the tide, or other reason, to feed, they stand in flocks on 

 grass-land upon one leg, sleeping, with the neck drawn in, and bill under the 

 scapular feathers. But they sleep " with one eye open." In wet and stormy 

 weather they never seem to settle down at all. They are easily called to the gun 

 by an exact imitation of their note (but it must be very exact) and have a curious 

 habit, in flocks, of diving down when shot at, giving a much better chance to the 

 second barrel. 



