164 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Remarks Description. 



periment in still larger birds, the disparity would 

 increase. It must be matter of great curiosity 

 to see the stilt plover move; to observe how it 

 can wield such a length of lever with such feeble 

 muscles as the thighs seem to be furnished with. 

 At best, one should expect it to be but a bad 

 walker : but what adds to the wonder is, that it 

 has no back toe. Now, without that steady 

 prop to support its steps, it must, theoretically, 

 "be liable to perpetual vacillations, and seldom 

 able to preserve the true centre of gravity. 



" These long-legged plovers are birds of South 

 Europe, and rarely visit our island; and when 

 they do, are wanderers and stragglers, and im- 

 pelled to make so distant and northern an excur- 

 sion from motives or accidents for which we are 

 not able to account." 



This bird is common in Egypt and the warmer 

 parts of America, where it feeds on flies and 

 other insects; but it is very rare in England, 



THE GREEN PLOVER 



IS much ajbout the same size as the lapwing, 

 and has a short round black bill, sharp at the 

 end, and a little hooked. The tongue, which 

 fills all the lower chap of- the bill, is triangular 

 at the tip, horny underneath, and turns a little 

 up. The feathers of the back and wings are 

 , thick set with transverse spots of a yellowish 



