GOLDEN PLOVER. 
363 
can discover, breed in any part of the United States. They 
are most frequently met with in the months of September and 
October ; soon after which they disappear. The young birds 
of the great Black-bellied Plover are sometimes mistaken for 
this species. Hence the reason why Mr Pennant remarks his 
having seen a variety of the Golden Plover, with black breasts, 
which he supposed to be the young.* 
The Golden Plover is common in the northern parts of 
Europe. It breeds on high and heathy mountains. The 
8 . 
9. 
10 . 
11 . 
Length of unfeathered tibia, f 4. 
inch. 
Length of tarsus, If inch. 5. 
Throat, lower part of the breast, 6. 
belly, vent, and crissum, pure 
white. 
Pale markings on the upper parts, 
dull gamboge yellow ; spotting 
more in oblong spots ; and, on 
the wing and tail-coverts, take 
the form of bars. 
Light markings on the tail dull 
and undecided, with a decided 
dark barring. 
Outer tail-feathers with pale mar- 
gins, the distinct and frequent 
barring through the whole length. 
Under wing-coverts and axillaries, 
pure white. 
Lesser wing-coverts, tipped with 
white, but otherwise of a uniform 
7. 
8 . 
10 . 
11 . 
inch. 
Length of tarsus, nearly If inch. 
Throat, and all under parts, dull 
yellowish gray, with darker tips 
to the feathers. 
Pale markings on the upper parts 
larger, and inclining more to clear 
white ; above, more in spots on 
the sides of the feathers. 
Light markings on the tail de- 
cided, nearly white ; no dark bar 
through it. 
Outer tail-feathers, with white 
tip and outer margin, which shoot 
down the rachis. 
Under wing-coverts and axillaries, 
wood brown gray. 
Lesser wing-coverts tipped and 
rather broadly edged with white. 
colour. 
C. pluvialis is introduced into the Northern Zoology , but I strongly suspect 
these excellent ornithologists have overlooked the other species. Both may 
be natives of North America ; I have never, however, seen or received extra 
European specimens of the Golden Plover ; I possess C. virginianus from 
India, Arctic America, and New Holland, which seems, in all those countries, 
very and exclusively abundant, and has always been confounded with its ally. 
In plate 85 of Ornithological Illustrations , this bird has most unaccountably 
been described under the title of C. xanthochielus, Wagler. It is undoubtedly 
this species, and figured from New Holland specimens. — Ed. 
* Arct. Zool. p. 484. 
