KENTISH PLOVER. 



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attracts this bird in considerable numbers; black muddy shores 

 equally invite it, where the tides wash the sea-weeds up, with 

 the rich provender attached to them. Where high water forces 

 the Kentish Plover to leave its ground, the bird not unfre- 

 quently retires to the neighbouring meadows and ploughed 

 fields, or to a greater distance to heath-ground and pasture land. 

 The general appearance of the Kentish Plover when on 

 the ground is rather bulky for its size, and the predominant 

 white of its plumage very soon discovers it to the beholder ; 

 when approached it runs very fast, and to a considerable 

 distance ; after which, as the traveller approaches, it circles 

 to one side, still keeping the distance it has obtained, and 

 shewing the beholder at most times its profile. Its flight 

 is very quick, and performed much in the manner of the 

 ring-dotterels, but exceeding them by far in speed. 



Before taking flight it opens its wings wide above its back, 

 and generally skims the surface of the water when it does 

 not intend to leave the neighbourhood ; on alighting it 

 skims a short distance, and on touching the ground with 

 its feet it opens its wings again wide, then runs a short space 

 and looks round before it begins its vocation of feeding. 



Its food consists in worms, marine insects and their 

 larvse, which it naturally finds in considerable quantity 

 on the before-named ground ; during high- water worms and 

 other insects supply the place of its more favourite food. 



The nest of the Kentish Plover is placed just above high- 

 water mark, on the ground, and consists of a hollow scratched 

 for the reception of the eggs, and lined with a few blades of 

 grass, or other faded vegetable matter. The eggs are four 

 in number, and so different from all others that they can 

 hardly be mistaken. During the day this bird rarely sits on 

 the eggs, but resembles the former species in this respect, 

 and when any danger draws near, the bird immediately runs 

 off the nest, which of course makes it a very difficult matter 



