84 British Birds, with their Nests and Eggs 



I borrowed Pearson's (while they went home with the eggs) and lay down flat in 

 the bog. The old birds came back before long, but did not like the look of the 

 new hillock ; they evidently thought, however, that none of the humans were left, my 

 clothes being perfect in colour. It was an absolutely flat bog, with no hummocks 

 more than nine, or vegetation more than six, inches high. After waiting some 

 minutes — which seemed hours — not daring to move an eye-lid, and feeling the wet 

 steadily invading my clothes — I got a chance at the handsomest (the male, the 

 female had some white feathers on the breast) at about forty yards, got him, and 

 bore him camp-wards in delight." 



Family- CHARADRIID.'E. 



The Sociable Plover. 



Vane I I us gregarius, Pall. 



A SPECIMEN of this bird was shot in Lancashire, about the year 1863, from 

 amongst a flock of Lapwings (Proc. Zool. Soc, 1888, p. 416). Two have 

 been obtained in Italy, one near Nice and one near Cadiz. 



Its breeding range is a restricted one, ranging from the Crimea eastward to 

 the Altai Mountains, but not further north than lat. 53° (Bogdanow), nor much 

 south of 40°. It winters in India, Ceylon, Arabia, Egypt, Nubia, and Abyssinia. 



The adult has a black crown ; white eye-brows, bordered below with black, 

 passing through the eye ; grey back ; white tail, with a dark brown bar near the 

 tip (except on the central pair of feathers); white chin; buff neck; grey breast; 

 black belly, with a chestnut centre ; bill and feet {ivith a hind toe) black. Young 

 birds are much dingier, but at all ages the short primaries, which are black with 

 a white inner edge, will distinguish it. Length 13 inches; wing 8 inches. 



