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BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. 
attached to newly ploughed fields, where it forms its nest 
of a few slight materials, as slightly put together. The 
female lays four eggs, large for the size of the bird, of a light 
olive colour, dashed with black ; and has frequently two broods 
in the same season. It is an extremely shy and watchful bird, 
though clamorous during breeding time. The young are 
without the black colour on the breast and belly until the 
second year, and the colours of the plumage above are like- 
wise imperfect till then. They feed on worms, grubs, winged 
insects, and various kinds of berries, particularly those usually 
called dew-berries, and are at such times considered exquisite 
eating. About the beginning of September, they descend 
with their young to the sea coast, and associate with the 
numerous multitudes then returning from their breeding places 
in the north. At this season they abound on the plains of 
Long Island. They have a loud whistling note ; often fly at 
a great height; and are called by many gunners along the 
coast the Black-bellied Kildeer. The young of the first year 
have considerable resemblance to those of the Golden Plover ; 
but may be easily distinguished from this last by the largeness 
of their head and bill, and in being at least two inches more 
in length. The greater number of those which I have 
examined have the rudiments of a hind toe ; but the character 
and manners of the Plover are so conspicuous in the bird, as 
to determine, at the first glance, the tribe it belongs to. They 
continue about the- sea coast until early in November, when 
they move off to the south. 
This same bird, Mr Pennant informs us, inhabits all the 
north of Europe, Iceland, Greenland, and Hudson’s Bay, and 
all the arctic part of Siberia. It is said, that at Hudson’s Bay 
it is called the Hawk’s-eye, on account of its brilliancy. It 
appears, says the same author, in Greenland, in the spring, 
about the southern lakes, and feeds on worms and berries of 
the heath. 
This species is twelve inches long, and twenty-four inches 
in extent ; the bill is thick, deeply grooved on the upper 
