255 
on the Birds of St. Croix. 
species fly up and perch upon trees; twice this happened on 
their being sprung by a dog. They breed from the end of 
April to the middle of July, and often lay a dozen or fifteen 
eggs. The nest does not appear to us to be ever covered over 
as described by some writers, and consists merely of a shallow 
hole scraped in the ground, in which is deposited a little dried 
grass or “ trash ”—the leaves of the Sugar-cane,—but it is cer¬ 
tainly often placed to leeward of a protecting cane “ stool 
30. Virginian Plover. Charadrius virginicus , Bechst. C. 
pluvialis, Wils. pi. 57. fig. 4, and pi. 59. fig. 5. C. marmoratus, 
Wagl.; Aud. pi. 300. “ Plover.” 
An autumnal migrant, appearing often in large numbers. 
They are usually seen after a gale of wind from the South or 
South-West; and hence arises the belief prevalent in the island, 
that these birds, and indeed all the Waders, come from the 
Spanish main; but the unquestionable explanation of the fact is 
that the birds are arrested in their southward migration by the 
wind, and are therefore compelled to defer journeying further 
until the weather has changed; or else that, having partly 
crossed the Caribbean Sea, they are driven North again. 
“ The arrival of this bird is hailed with delight by St. Croix 
sportsmen of all classes and colours : every one who possesses a 
gun sallies forth to the ‘ pastures ’ on the south side of the 
island, which are grassy plains, and in wet weather in the con¬ 
dition which an East-Anglian fen-man would call* splashy/ Here 
are seen people in all directions,—those who are armed standing 
behind, or, if it is raining, sitting in their carriages, while the 
unarmed are scattered on every side; and all are employed in 
keeping a good look-out. Presently some one calls out, ‘ Mark ! 9 
and a long line of these Plovers are seen flying up from the 
sea, ignorant of the fate which awaits them. They do not appear 
in the least shy—their habits in this respect differing very much 
* All the attempts which have been made to naturalize this bird in the 
United Kingdom seem to have completely failed; and, in our opinion, its 
name should be erased from the British and European lists. As far as 
concerns the Eastern Counties of England, often mentioned as the district 
colonized by it, we can state pretty positively that it is not now found in 
them. 
