538 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



most secondaries and coverts, some median and lesser coverts but 

 not rest of wings or tail are moulted March to May (some winter 

 body-feathers sometimes retained). Differs from G. d. dominicus 

 in having upper -parts more plentifully spangled golden and under 

 tail-coverts white in both sexes, barred, tipped or irregularly 

 marked black ; in some males under -parts are interspersed with 

 new, or worn white feathers ; in female under -parts are of a browner 

 black, some feathers tipped white and more or less plentifully inter- 

 mixed with white feathers. N.B. — Six summer birds examined had 

 apparently moulted into winter instead of summer plumage ; in 

 one (April) growing feathers were like those of winter. This occurs 

 in other waders. 



Nestling. — Apparently identical with nestling C. a. oreophilos 

 but yellow of upper -parts rather lighter ; eye-stripe and streak 

 from bill to nape below eye yellowish-white irregularly mottled 

 black. (Only one indifferent skin examined.) 



Juvenile. Male and female. — Like juvenile C. d. dominicus but 

 upper -parts notched and tipped with paler golden ; breast golden, 

 feathers streaked fulvous ; flanks white streaked fulvous, some- 

 times notched and tipped golden ; belly and vent white, sometimes 

 with feathers notched golden ; tail-feathers and wing-coverts as in 

 C. d. dominicus. 



First winter. Male and female. — Not to be distinguished with 

 certainty from adult. The juvenile body-plumage (not all the scapu- 

 lars), innermost secondaries and coverts, some median and lesser 

 coverts but apparently not tail and not rest of wings are moulted 

 Sept. to Jan. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 165-174 mm., tail 59-64 ; 

 tarsus 39-46, bill from feathers 21-27 (12 measured). $ wing 158- 

 175, bill 22-26. Primaries : 1st narrow and pointed and about half 

 longest primary-covert, 2nd longest, 3rd 3-8 mm. shorter, 4th 12-16 

 shorter, 5th 21-30 shorter, 6th 35-42 shorter. Other structure as 

 in G. apricarius. 



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

 brown. 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds on the open tundra. Nest. — A mere 

 hollow in ground, with a few broken bits of moss and lichen by way 

 of lining. Eggs. — Normally 4, smaller than those of European 

 Golden Plover, and ground paler, but otherwise similar. Average 

 of 7 eggs, 48.6x34.4. Max. : 49.7x34.5 and 48.3x35.6. Min. : 

 47.5x33.9 and 48.1x33.6 mm. Breeding -season. — Latter half 

 June and early July. Single brooded. 

 Food. — Worms, small Crustacea, insects, and small mollusca. 



Distribution. — Great Britain. — Some fifteen. [Leadenhall Market 

 Dec, 1874, said from Norfolk.] Loch Stenness (Orkneys) Nov., 

 1887 (J. G. Millais, Field, vol. 70, p. 907, 10.xn.1887 ; Saunders, 

 p. 549). Epsom Race-course (Surrey) Nov. 12, 1870 (J. A. Bucknill, 

 Birds Surrey, p. 283). Party of five or six (three shot) Wartling 



