THE BRITISH GOLDEN PLOVER. 533 



Soft parts. — Bill black ; legs and feet greenish -grey ; iris 

 brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — For distinctions of G. a. apri- 

 carius see under that subspecies. White axillaries distinguish it 

 from Grey and other Golden Plovers. 



Field -characters. — Whether under -parts are black (breeding 

 dress) or white (winter) blackish gold-spangled upper -parts dis- 

 tinguish Golden Plover from other British birds, except young Grey 

 Plover. White axillaries prevent confusion with latter and American 

 and Asiatic Golden Plovers, but it is hardly possible to distinguish 

 G. a. oreophilos from G. a. apricarius in the field. Nesting places on 

 moors and mountains are deserted from autumn to spring ; birds 

 then resort to lowlands and coast, where they often consort with 

 Lapwings, but they separate on rising, when speedy Golden Plovers 

 with pointed sharp-angled wings and compact forms contrast 

 strongly with broad -winged Lapwings. Common call in winter is a 

 liquid, far-reaching " tlui," but a warbling love-song " taludl-taludl," 

 a sobbing " tirr-pee-you," and the long drawn " too-ee " are heard 

 on breeding grounds. 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds on moorlands, showing preference for 

 spots where little heather grows on the peat. Nest. — Depression in 

 peaty soil, with scanty lining of heather -twigs, lichens, etc. Eggs. — 

 Normally 4, frequently 3 in late layings and rarely 5, large and 

 distinctly pyriform, varying from yellowish-stone (normal) to pale 

 greenish or rich reddish-yellow, boldly blotched with brown-black. 

 Average of 50 British eggs, 52.3 X 35.9. Max. : 54.6 X 35.1 and 53 X 

 38. Min. : 48.1 X 36 and 52.4x33.8 mm. Breeding -season. — From 

 second week April onward, but most eggs laid end April and early 

 May. Exceptionally to early July. Incubation. — Apparently by 

 both sexes in turn (A. Taylor), but some observers report only males 

 on eggs and others only females. Period 27th day in incubator 

 (Evans) ; estimates of 16 to 21 days erroneous. Single brooded. 



Food. — Variable, comprising insects, coleoptera (Agriotes, Gurculio, 

 Sitones, Notiophilus, etc.), orthoptera (earwigs and their larvae), 

 larvae of lepidoptera (Agrotis, etc.), larvae of diptera, and hymenop- 

 tera (Formica, etc.). Also earthworms, spiders, mollusca (Sphcerium, 

 Limax, Vitrina, Littorina, Bissoa, Paludestrina and Alexia), 

 Crustacea (small Isopods) and vegetable matter, including grasses, 

 seeds (Gar ex, Polygonum, etc.), fragments of sea -weeds and moss 

 and berries of moorland plants. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Resident. Breeds sparingly moors 

 Devon and Somerset, more plentifully Wales and its borders and 

 north-east Yorks., and commonly Pennines and northwards through- 

 out Scotland and its islands. In Ireland on mountains many dis- 

 tricts, as well as bogs in western Connaught. To what extent 

 breeding-birds are migrants is uncertain, but they begin to leave 

 breeding -haunts for coastal regions early Aug. and in autumn and 



