22 SOCIAL PLOVER. 



colouring is a clear greenish, often passing, towards the 

 larger end, into reddish yellow. It is covered with 

 brown and blackish brown spots, which are of a roundish 

 or semicircular shape. I give a copy of Btideker's 

 figure of this egg. 



The adult male has the top of the head, a line from 

 the gape through the eyes, the primaries, lower part of 

 abdomen, and a band across the end of the tail, black; 

 a band round the vertex, throat, under wing and tail 

 coverts, and secondary quill feathers, white, the latter 

 having small patches of liver brown on their outer 

 webs at the end; nape, scapularies, back, and upper 

 wing and tail coverts, grey brown; sides of the head 

 and neck fawn-colour; chest and crop smoky brown, 

 terminating in the deep black of the lower abdomen, 

 which black again terminates in feathers strongly marked 

 with liver brown; flanks white; tail white, with a black 

 band near the end, the most lateral feather being pure 

 white; beak and feet black. 



The female resembles the male, but the tints are less 

 pure, and more diffused, particularly the under parts. 



The young of the year, according to Degland, have 

 the top of the head grey brown, bordered with russet; 

 wing coverts and wings olive brown, with lighter 

 brown borders; forehead and superciliary ray very 

 bright brown; throat white; sides of the head, neck, 

 and crop, like the wing coverts; abdomen pure white; 

 the rest as in adults. 



My figure is from a specimen from the Volga, sent 

 me by Mr. Tristram. 



It has also been figured by Bonaparte, Faun. Ital., 

 pi. 41; and Gould, B. of E., pi. 292. 



