THE RINGED PLOVER. 519 



olive-black, base of under mandible yellow ; legs and feet (ad. $, 

 ad. $ summer) bright yellow, (ad. $ winter and 1st winter $ and $) 

 lemon -yellow, (juv.) yellowish-flesh ; iris brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — *C. h. tundrce (E. Siberia) has 

 upper -parts darker.* For distinctions of C. semipalmatus, G. d. 

 curonicus and O. a. alexandrinus see under those species. Small 

 size, black and white bands on head, broad black (or brown) pectoral 

 band and hair -brown upper-parts distinguish this species from its 

 allies. 



Field -characters. — Mainly a bird of sandy shores during breeding- 

 season, although a few nest inland ; From autumn to spring abounds 

 on low-lying coasts, often in large flocks, associated with Dunlins 

 and other small waders. Robust form and intensity of black and 

 white markings are outstanding characters in adult. Young birds 

 having imperfect breast-band and other marks comparatively 

 obscure are something like Kentish, but legs are yellow, not black. 

 Little Ringed Plover is smaller and slighter although like Ringed in 

 general coloration, but innermost primaries are uniformly brown 

 and consequently no wing-bar shows in flight. Call-note a harsh 

 " trr." Love-song, a sweet trilling " trooi-trooi " is uttered during 

 a slow wavering flight at some height above beach. " Tooli-tooli " 

 connotes some uneasiness ; more definite alarm-notes are " pee-ip " 

 and " pen-y-et." 



Breeding-habits. — In British Isles chiefly on low-lying sandy 

 shores or estuaries ; also occasionally inland by shores of lakes and 

 rivers and less frequently on sandy heaths, sewage farms and even 

 in cornfields at some distance from sea. Nest. — Depression in 

 sandy ground, turf or shingle, sometimes lined with bits of shell or 

 small stones, in some cases under shelter of plant. Inland nests are 

 sometimes quite substantially built of bents, etc. Eggs. — Normally 

 4, sometimes 3 only, occasionally 5, pale stone-buff, generally finely 

 spotted brown-black, and underlying ash-grey. Scarce variety has 

 large blackish blotches, and white eggs have been met with without 

 markings. Average of 100 British eggs, 35.9x25.9. Max. : 39 X 

 26.5 and 37x28.5. Min. : 32.2x25 and 32.7 X 24 mm. Breeding- 

 season. — Exceptionally from early March onward to July and even 

 Aug., but most eggs laid May and June. Incubation. — By both 

 sexes in turn. Period 21 to 25 days. Must be double-brooded in 

 some cases, but many late nests are probably 2nd or 3rd layings. 



Food. — Varied, including insects, chiefly coleoptera (Apion, 

 Aphodius, Haliplus, Hydroporus, etc.) and diptera ; smaller 



* It is possible that C. h. tundrce occurs in the British Islands as a 

 passage -migrant or winter-visitor. While it has distinctly darker upper-parts 

 than C. h. hiaticula in summer, latter is decidedly darker in winter than in 

 summer plumage, so that it seems impossible to differentiate and state that, 

 the darker specimens are tundrce. The measurements of the two forms 

 unfortunately overlap, breeding birds of C. h. tundrce measuring 8 <$ wing 

 127-134, bill 13-14, 1 ? wing 129, bill 14.— A.C.M. 



