RING DOTTEREL. j ]_ 9 



The bottom of this has sometimes fragments of shells arranged in it, evidently brought 

 by the bird for that purpose; and rarely the eggs are deposited upon some of the dried 

 sea-weed to be met with in their haunts. 



The eggs are four in number, and are of a cream-colour, streaked and spotted with 

 blue and black. They measure one inch and five lines in length by one inch in breadth. 



Incubation is usually completed from the middle to the end of May, and is said to 

 last for fifteen or sixteen days. 



During the period of incubation, which is performed by both parents, if they are 

 disturbed, they usually first run from the nest, and then fly off without any cry or noise; 

 if however frightened after the young are hatched, they betray all the usual anxiety 

 exhibited by birds under similar circumstances; — flying round and over you, crying, and 

 trying to call off your attention from its young brood ; which in the meantime are busily 

 occupied in hiding themselves, by squatting among the stones around them. The young 

 birds are able to run soon after quitting the egg. 



Varieties of this bird are by no means common. The following is recorded by 

 Mr. Thompson: — "A singular variety of the Kinged Plover was shot on the 1st. of 

 August, 1842, in Belfast Bay. It is wholly white, except where the plumage is ordi- 

 narily blackish, that is, on the gorget, the primaries, and a band towards the extremity 

 of the tail; all of which are, instead, of a very pale yellowish brown. The portions of 

 the plumage, usually of a very pale yellowish white cast, are in this bird of a pure 

 white. Bill, pale brown, instead of black ; legs, yellowish. The specimen is preserved in 

 the Belfast Museum." 



The male has the bill black at the tip, the remainder yellow, shading into orange at 

 the base; irides, brown; lower part of the forehead, cheeks, and ear coverts, black; on 

 the forehead is a band of white running down to the eye. Crown, black; back of crown 

 and nape, hair brown; over the ear coverts and eye is frequently a pale streak. Chin 

 and collar round the neck, white ; below this is a collar of black, broad in front, narrow 

 behind. Back, wing coverts, tertials, and upper tail coverts, uniform hair brown; primaries, 

 blackish brown; part of the shafts, near the tips, white; secondaries and greater wing 

 coverts, tipped with white, forming a bar across the wing, visible when the wings are 

 extended. Tail feathers, hair brown at the base, shading nearly into black towards the end ; 

 the centre feathers have a slight white tip, becoming wider on the others towards the sides; 

 the outside one is altogether white, and the second has its outside web of that colour. 

 Breast, belly, vent, and under tail coverts, white ; legs and toes, orange yellow ; claws, black. 



The female resembles the male. 



In the young birds the bill is dusky ; they are without the black band on the forehead ; 

 the other dark parts of head and neck are ashy brown. Legs and feet, pale yellow. 



The length is about seven inches and three-quarters. 



