GOLDEN PLOVER. 



465 



Golden Plover. Peym. Brit. Zool. 2. 208. pi. 72. — Venn. Arct. 

 Zoo/. 2. 399.— ^///. Ang. 303.— Laih. Gen. Si/n. 5. 193. 1. — 

 Lath. Syn. Sup. 252.— Mont. Orn. Diet. 2. — Mont. Orn.Dict. 

 Sup. — Bew. Brit. Birds. 1. 329- — Lew. Brit. Birds. 3. pi. 181. 

 Waic. Si/n. 2. pi. \5S. — Don. Brit. Birds. 2. pi. 45. — PtilL 

 Cat, Dors. iQ.—lVills. Amer. Orn. 7. 71. pi. f. 5. 



This elegant species is ten inches and a half in 

 length : the top of the head, as well as the whole 

 of the upper parts of the body, the wings, and the 

 tail, are fine siiky black, varied with large golJi^n- 

 yellow spots placed on the edges of the webs : the 

 sides of the head, the neck, and the breast, are 

 varied with spots of grey, brown, and yeliow : the 

 throat and under parts of the body are white : the 

 quills black, their shafts white towards the tip : 

 beak dusky : feet deep grey : irides brown : female 

 similar : the young during the first year have the 

 upper parts dusky grey, spotted wi h greyish yel- 

 low. Jn the breeding season both sexes appear 

 black on the lower part of the breast ; these 

 feathers begin to shew themselves in March, and 

 are perfected in May, at which time the female 

 begins to lay. 



The eggs are four in number, about the size 

 and shape of those of the Lapwing, of a greyish 

 olive, blotched wdth dusky : they are deposited 

 amongst heath. The young run as soon as hatched, 

 and follow the motlier to the damp places in 

 search of worms : at first they are clothed with 

 down of a dusky colour, and are incapable of 

 flying for a considerable time. The old birds are 

 very tenacious of their offspring, and become very 

 bold during this time. 



V. XT. p. lu 31 



