14 
CHARADRIUS HELVETICUS. 
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 mandible, an inch and a quarter in length, 
and of a black colour ; the head and globe of the eye 
are both remarkably large, the latter deep bluish black ; 
forehead, white ; crown and hindhead, black, spotted 
with golden yellow; back and scapulars, dusky, sprinkled 
with the same golden or orange coloured spots, mixed 
with 'others of white ; breast, belly, and vent, black ; sides 
of the breast, whitish ; wing-quills, black ; middle of 
the shafts, white ; greater coverts, black, tipt with 
white ; lining of the wing, black ; tail, regularly barred 
with blackish and pure white ; tail coverts, pure white ; 
legs and feet, a dusky lead colour ; the exterior toe 
joined to the middle by a broad membrane ; hind toe 
very small. 
From the length of time which these birds take to 
acquire their full colours, they are found in very various 
stages of plumage. The breast and belly are at first 
white, gradually appear mottled with black, and finally 
become totally black. The spots of orange, or golden, 
on the crown, hind bead, and back, are at first white, 
and sometimes even the breast itself is marked with 
these spots, mingled among the black. In every stage 
the seemingly disproportionate size of the head, and 
thickness of the bill, will distinguish this species. 
