238 
POPULAE HISTOEY OF BIEDS. 
sights some resemblance to the bustards, and, like tbem, 
live in dry stony districts, where they find slugs and insects, 
their favourite food. The Coursers [Cursormi) also are 
placed here : they are birds well suited, from their sandy 
colours, to escape detection in their chief haunts, and have 
acquired their name from their great swiftness of foot. The 
Glareoles are distinguished by their long pointed wings, 
and the tail being generally forked, while the legs are of no 
great length, and the beak is short, conical, and arcuated 
throughout : the species are found in troops. The most 
characteristic birds however of the family are the Plovers and 
Lapwings. Many and great are the artifices employed by 
these amiable birds to distract the attention of the intruder 
from their nest ; some of them spread out their wings and 
tail, dragging themselves along as if they were lame or 
wounded, and whenever the eye of the disturber is turned 
from them, they immediately resume their sprightly posture, 
and generally in this way draw off attention from their nests. 
One of these birds is the Kildeer Plover of North America 
{Charadrius vociferus), so called from its noisy vociferations 
resembling that word repeated. Wilson describes it as re- 
treating to the sea-shore during the severity of winter, when 
the ground is covered with snow. In spring it resumes its 
