8 
autumn, and states that it breeds within the polar circle. Mr. Swinhoe gives its range as extending 
throughout Cliina. He procured it between Takoo and Peking, and says that it is a common bird 
near Canton, where it passes the summer, while at Formosa it is plentiful all the year round, breeding 
in great abundance on the south-west marshy plains. In the ‘ Museum des Pays-Bas,’ Prof. Schlegel 
has recorded a list of specimens, more than sixty in number, contained in the Leyden Museum, from 
which it would appear that examples have been collected in nearly every island of the Malay archi- 
pelago. Dr. Jerdon writes ; — “ The Golden Plover occurs throughout India in open plains, grassy 
downs, ploughed fields, and on the edges of rivers, lakes, &c., associating in fiocks of various magnitude 
and feeding on beetles and other land-insects, worms, &c. ; ” and Mr. Holdsworth reports that it 
is very common in winter in the northern portion of Ceylon, sometimes extending as far south as 
Colombo. Mr. Gould records that it is generally dispersed over all the colonies from Tasmania to 
the extreme north of the continent of Australia, and adds that “ its habits, manners, and general 
economy so closely resemble those of the Golden Plover of Europe, that a description of one is equally 
characteristic of the other.” Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub have given a full account of the distribution 
of the species among the islands of the South Pacific ; and Dr. E. Graffe, writing from Tongatabu, 
says that it is found on that island all the year round, but is most numerous from October to March 
and during the season of migration. It occurs occasionally on the New-Zealand coast, but apparently 
only as a straggler, and almost always in winter plumage. 
Several examples have been obtained in the Manukau harbour, and two of these ( d and $ ) are 
in the Auckland Museum, but it has not yet been found breeding there. Several others have been 
taken on the Wellington coast, two of which are in the Colonial Museum; while in the South Island 
small flights have been observed on the shores of Lake Ellesmere, and one or two specimens obtained 
on the south-east coast of Otago. 
From Portland Island I received, through the courtesy of Mr. Eobson, two specimens, one of 
which is in winter plumage, whilst the other has partially assumed the summer dress. The same 
correspondent was fortunate enough to discover its breeding-place, and he sent me some interesting 
notes, which I communicated at the time to the Wellington Philosophical Society *. He says : — “ On 
the 9th of January last a Golden Plover was found sitting on three eggs at the northern end of 
Portland Island. The nest is a very simple afiair, composed of a little grass laid in a slight hollow 
amongst the driftwood a few yards above high-water mark ; the egg is large for the bird, being about 
the size of a pullet’s, ovoid, a good deal pointed, in colour of a light greenish yellow with irregular 
blotches of dark rufous brown, almost black in the larger spots, and varying in size from a pin’s head 
to a shilling, the largest being at the more obtuse end of the egg. When disturbed the bird rose 
with a harsh rattling cry, but did not seem frightened, and returned to the nest after a few minutes. 
On the 10th the nest was not visited, it being thought best not to disturb the bird again so soon; and 
on the 11th, on going to it for a specimen egg, the nest was found deserted and the eggs gone, not a 
particle of shell remaining.” 
Mr. Swinhoe represents this bird as breeding plentifully on Formosa, and he has given the 
following account of its nidification : — “ Its eggs, four in number, are laid in a loose nest of dried 
grasses and fibres placed in a hollow. They are of a greenish-grey ground-colour, blotched and 
spotted with deep-blackish sepia, and have occasional obsolete purplish-grey spots. They do not vary 
much in size, are narrowed near the end, and measure 1-5 inch by IT.” 
Eeferring to this, Mr. Seebohm says ; — “ I can imagine that barren birds in imperfect breeding- 
plumage may not unfrequently be found during summer in their winter-quarters ; but I scarcely think 
it possible that C.fulvus breeds south of the Arctic circle, at least three thousand miles further north 
than Formosa.” 
* Trans. N.-Z. Inst. voL xvi. p. 308. 
