In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury, 



251 



grey. The young of these and of the Golden Plover may at times 

 be almost mistaken for each other; but there is one definite mark 

 by which you may always distinguish them, the hind toe of the 

 Grey Plover being entirely absent in the Golden. The Grey Plover, 

 also, is of a stouter and heavier build, and the beak is stronger and 

 thicker. The flight of this bird is wonderfully rapid, and as it 

 generally flies very low to the ground it is not always easy to bring 

 down ; and it is so shy that it is very difficult to approach it. 



Arenaria Calidris. "The Sanderling." Not infrequently met 

 with in company with others of its class. I found it on Sturt 

 Island, in company with the Purre and Ringed Dotterel. It is not 

 altogether unlike the Purre, but it has a shorter bill, and no hind 

 toe. 



Charadrius Pluvialis. " Golden Plover." Often to be seen in 

 the parish during the autumn and winter. It is of rapid flight, 

 appearing generally in flocks, though one single specimen was shot 

 here in October, by my brother, which had stuck to one especial field 

 for a day or two. It is an especially fast runner ; and on one oc- 

 casion, when my brother had killed one near Wokingham, in Berk- 

 shire, a man who saw him shoot it came running up in great haste 

 to know what kind of bird it was, inasmuch as he had just winged one 

 in the next field, which had run him to a clean standstill, and had 

 effected its escape in safety. It is of very handsome plumage in the 

 summer, assuming the jet black breast, as the Grey Plover also does, 

 and turning also very dark on the back, on which the golden spangles 

 of its plumage stand out very attractively. I once saw a large flock 

 in the parish in the March month, some of which were fast acquiring 

 the black breast of the perfect summer feathering. Mr. Baker, of 

 Mere, towards the end of February, 1869, tells me that he shot three 

 Golden Plover, at one shot in three distinct stages of plumage, out of 

 the same flock — summer, winter, and intermediate — but to his great 

 regret afterwards he only had the latter bird of the three set up, 

 which, on consideration was the very one he did not much care to 

 have preserved. They constantly occur on Mere downs, where 

 there are two pieces of arable, which, during the open weather in 

 winter and early spring is an almost certain find for them ; but he 



