296 
CHARADRIIDiE. 
GRALLATORES. 
CIIARADRIIDjE . 
RINGED PLOVER 
RING DOTTEREL, SAND LARK. 
Charadrius HIATICULA. 
PLATE LXXVII. FIGS. I. AND II. 
I like much, to watch the graceful motions of this 
beautiful bird, as well when running with rapidity and 
confidence close beside me on the sea-beacli, as when, 
with its gay companions, it is sweeping with great cele¬ 
rity past me on the wing, in cpiickly repeated evolutions. 
The Ring Dotterel breeds on the greater part of our 
sea-coast, being most frequent near the mouths of rivers 
and smaller streams. It makes no nest, but lays its four 
conical eggs in a slight hole on the surface of the ground, 
either amongst small gravel, or upon the little hillocks of 
sand which occur so commonly on our flat sea-beach. In 
some of these substitutes for a nest, which I have seen, 
the eggs presented a very beautiful appearance upon the 
clean white sand; frequently near the root of some tall 
grass, which waved over them as a protection from the 
storm. During the breeding-season, the Ring Dotterel 
is ever on the alert and on wing long before you reach 
its eggs, making its circuits round you, and uttering its 
sweet plaintive whistle of alarm—a sure indication that 
you are in the near neighbourhood of its eggs or young 
ones. It begins to breed early in May, and lays four 
eggs. 
