16 BLACK-HEADED PLOVER. 



lives at peace, since it owes much to that bird; for 

 the crocodile, when he leaves the water, and comes 

 out upon the land, is in the habit of lying with his 

 mouth wide open, facing the western breeze; at such 

 times the trochilos goes into his mouth and devours 

 the leeches. This benefits the crocodile, who is pleased, 

 and takes care not to hurt the trochilos.'' — Herod, 

 book ii, end of chap. viii. As a matter of fact I seldom 

 saw a crocodile on land without seeing a Pluvianus 

 cegyptius near him." 



The following is from Badeker: — "This inhabitant 

 of Egypt has also been shot on the Guadalquiver, and 

 in other places in the south of Europe. It breeds on 

 the sandy islands of the Nile. It scratches a hole in 

 the sand or gravel, and lays four eggs therein. These 

 are very difficult to find, as the vigilant bird, when it 

 observes the approach of man, covers them over before 

 it leaves the nest. The shell is of a dull glaze-red 

 yellow ground colour, with violet grey spots and 

 chesnut brown dots, streaks, and waves, all seen appa- 

 rently underneath the surface; a species of marking 

 which, as well as the size, though not in the form, 

 brings them near the eggs of Charadrius cantianus, 

 (Kentish Plover.) In Sennaar it is often seen near a 

 crocodile, and is hence called '^ crocodile guard.'" 



The male and female have in winter the top and 

 sides of the head and cheeks, the nape, back, a band 

 round the chest, base and tips of the wing feathers, 

 glossy black; the scapularies, wing and tail coverts, 

 and the feathers of the tail, clear slate grey; a band 

 over the eyes, going round the occiput; the throat, 

 under wing coverts, edge of pectoral black band, flanks, 

 end of tail feathers, and distal half of primaries, except 

 the first, (which is entirely black,) pure white; chest. 



