RINGED PLOVER. ^3 



The ringed plover is very abundant on the low sandy shores 

 of our whole sea-coast during summer. They run, or rather 

 seem to glide, rapidly along the surface of the flat sands, fre- 

 quently spreading out their wings and tail like a fan, and 

 fluttering along, to draw or entice one away from their nests. 

 These are formed with little art, being merely shallow con- 

 cavities dug in the sand, in which the eggs are laid, and, 

 during the day at least, left to the influence of the sun to 

 hatch them. The parents, however, always remain near the 

 spot to protect them from injury, and probably, in cold, rainy, 

 or stormy weather, to shelter them with their bodies. The eggs 

 are three, sometimes four, large for the bird, of a dun clay 

 colour, and marked with numerous small spots of reddish purple. 



The voice of these little birds, as they move along the sand, 

 is soft and musical, consisting of a single plaintive note occa- 

 sionally repeated. As you approach near their nests, they 

 seem to court your attention, and, the moment they think you 

 observe them, they spread out their wings and tail, dragging 

 themselves along, and imitating the squeaking of young birds ; 

 if you turn from them, they immediately resume their proper 

 posture, until they have again caught your eye, when they 

 display the same attempts at deception as before. A flat, dry, 

 sandy beach, just beyond the reach of the summer tides, is 

 their favourite place for breeding. 



This species is subject to great variety of change in its 

 plumage. In the month of July, I found most of those that 

 were breeding on Summers's Beach, at the mouth of Great 

 Egg Harbour, such as I have here figured ; but, about the 

 beginning or middle of October, they had become much darker 

 above, and their plumage otherwise varied. They were then 

 collected in flocks ; their former theatrical and deceptive 

 manoeuvres seemed all forgotten. They appeared more active 

 than before, as well as more silent, alighting within a short 

 distance of one, and feeding about without the least appearance 

 of suspicion. At the commencement of winter, they all go off 

 towards the south. 



