410 GKALLiE. BIRDS. Gruid-^k. 
and it further resembles those birds in its habit of 
capturing insects on the wing. Insects and worms 
constitute its chief food. The eggs are deposited in the 
midst of a tuft of rushes or other herbage. They are 
three or four in number. Several other species are 
met with in Africa, and two or three in India and the 
neighbouring islands. 
THE GRAY PLOVER {Squatarola Jielvetica) — Plate 
23, fig. 89 —also called the Gray Sandpiper, a winter 
visitor to this country, appears to be distributed over the 
whole of the northern parts of the Old World, breeding 
in the arctic regions during the summer, and migrating 
southwards, as far as Africa and India, for the winter 
season. It measures about twelve inches in length, 
and is speckled with black and white above, and black 
beneath, in the summer ; in the winter the plumage is 
gray above, and paler or white beneath, 
THE GOLDEN PLOVER (Charadrius qduvialis ) — 
Plate 23, fig. 88 — is a permanent resident in Britain, 
where it is found in considerable numbers on the hills 
and swampy grounds, especially towards the north. 
It is widely distributed in the Northern hemisphere, 
and appears to resort to the regions within the arctic 
circle in great quantities in the summer to breed. The 
lower surface is black in summer, and in the winter 
dusky-white, spotted with yellow. The whole length 
is about eleven inches. Like the other Plovers, this 
species associates in considerable flocks, and utters a 
shrill whistling note. It feeds upon insects, worms, 
and slugs. The eggs are four in number, and are 
deposited in a hollow in the ground, amongst the 
heath, with but little lining. The young birds run as 
soon as they quit the egg, and the parents make use 
of many artifices in protecting their helpless family 
from any enemy. 
THE DOTTEREL ( Charadrius morinellus) is a summer 
visitor to this country. It is smaller than the preced- 
ing species, measuring only nine inches and a half in 
length; its plumage above is ash colour, variegated 
with brown and buff; the head is brown, with a white 
streak on each eye; the breast is fawn colour, with 
a white transverse band, and the belly black. The 
Dotterel breeds on the high grounds of the northern 
parts of England and Scotland, laying three or four 
eggs in a small hollow in the ground; its food consists 
of worms, insects, and slugs. 
THE RING-PLOVER {Charadrius hiaticula), a still 
smaller species, less than eight inches in length, is a 
permanent resident in Britain, where it chiefly fre- 
quents the flat sandy shores of the sea. It is also met 
with in the northern parts of Europe and America, 
advancing to the arctic shores during the summer. 
The neck and lower surface are white ; on each side 
of the head is a large black spot, and across the lower 
part of the neck is a broad black band, leaving a dis- 
tinct white collar round the neck. 
THE LAPWING {Vanellus cristatus), likewise called 
the Peewit, in imitation of its note, is an abundant 
species on marshy grounds, heaths, and moors in this 
country, and also throughout Europe and Asia. This 
bird frequents marshy ground near the borders of lakes 
and rivers, and is also found on open heaths, commons, 
and moors. It deposits its eggs, usually four in 
number, in a slight depression in the ground ; they are 
in great esteem for the table,- and, in those districts 
where the birds abound, these eggs are carefully sought 
for and brought to market. When disturbed upon 
their eggs the parent birds fly or run off, or fly round 
the intruder, using various stratagems to lure him from 
the place. The food both of the old and young birds 
consists, like that of the preceding species, of worms, 
slugs, and insects ; and Latham states that he saw a 
Lapwing approach a worm-cast, turn it to one side, 
and then walk two or three times round the hole 
to give motion to the ground ; on the worm making its 
appearance it was seized by the watchful bird. 
The Lapwing is rather more than twelve inches in 
length. Its head is adorned with a pointed crest of 
elongated feathers, which the bird can elevate or 
depress at pleasure ; the crown of the head, the face, 
throat, and upper part of the breast are black; the 
sides and back of the neck are white, speckled with 
black ; the upper surface is dark-green with a purple 
and coppery lustre, and the lower surface is white 
The tail is white at the base and black at the apex. 
THE OYSTER-CATCHER {Hoimatopus ostralegus) 
— Plate 23, fig. 90 — is a British example of a small 
group consisting of about a dozen species, distributed 
in all parts of the world. Its most striking pecu- 
liarity is the form of the bill, which is much longer 
than the head, and a little curved upwards, of a 
pentagonal foim at the base, but compressed in the 
apical portion, so as to constitute »a thin blade, ter- 
minating in an abruptly truncated extremity. The 
Oyster-catcher frequents our coasts throughout the 
year, and also appears to inhabit most of the shores 
of the northern parts of the Old World. It is like- 
wise met with along the course of rivers. Its food 
consists principally of small mollusca, which it picks 
up in abundance on the shores, and its peculiarly 
constructed bill is said to be of great sendee to it 
in opening the shells of the bivalves, and in detaching 
limpets from the rocks. Its English name is evidently 
derived from the supposition that it is able even to 
open oysters with this instrument. The eggs, which 
are usually four in number, are deposited on the 
hare ground, and the parents, like the other plovers, 
endeavour by various wiles to lure away intruders 
from their nest. 
Family III.— GIIUID.5E. 
The Cranes, which constitute the types of this 
familjq are large and handsome birds — inhabitants for 
the most part of the warmer regions of the globe. 
They have a large and strong bill, which is sometimes 
straight and pointed, sometimes more or less arched 
at the extremity; their nostrils are placed in large 
grooves, and generally near the middle of the upper 
mandible; tbeir legs are of great length and rather 
slender, with the tarsi compressed and covered in front 
with broad shields, and the naked skin continued 
upwards to a considerable distance on the tibiae ; and 
their toes are rather long, with the exception of the 
hinder one, which is small and elevated on the back of 
the tarsus, so that it does not touch the ground in 
