This is Le Pluvier h Aigrette, Le Pluvier Huppe de Perse, and the Pluvier Arnu5.du Senegal, of Bnffon ; Spur-Winged and Black-Breasted Indian Plover of Latham.
Little or nothing is known of the habits of this species, with the exception of what we learn from Dr. Latham, who says that it inhabits Russia, and is frequent near Aleppo, about the river Coie. "The Spur Winged Plovers," says be, "are very numerous and exceedingly noisy, have a hasty and continual movement of the head and neck, drawing them up briskly, and then stretching them quickly forward, almost as if they were making hasty and eager bows." M. Temminek gives Egypt and Senegal as the habitat of this bird, and says that it shows itself accidentally in Italy, but is said to be more common in the islands of the Grecian Archipelago. In Greece, he adds, great numbers are found ; and Professor Nordmann killed one in Russia.
Charadrita (Linn.). Bill slender, straight, compressed, shorter than the head ; nasal furrow prolonged more than two-thirds ; man dibles enlarged towards the tip. Nostrils basal, jagged, cleft longi tudinally in the middle of a large membrane which covers the nasal fosses Toes three, directed forwards, the external united to the middle one by a short membrane ; the inner toe free. Tail square or slightly rounded. Wings moderate, first quill-feather longest. (Gould.) course of a month or five weeks. The old birds display great anxiety in protecting their young brood, using various stratagems to divert the attention of an enemy ; among others, that of tumbling over, as if unable to fly, or feigning lameness, is most frequent, and appears indeed to be the instinctive reaort of those birds that construct the nest and rear their young on the ground. When aware of an intruder near, the female invariably runs to some distance from her nest before she takes wing, a manoeuvre tending to conceal its true situation ; and the discovery of it is rendered still more difficult by the colour and markings of the eggs assimilating so closely to that of the ground and surrounding herbage. The usual call-note of the Plover is a plaintive
monotonous whistle, by Imitating which it may frequently be enticed within a very short distance. In the breeding season a more varied call is used, during which it flies at a great elevation, and continues soaring round for a considerable time. Towards the end of August these birds begin to leave the moors (having there congregated in Large flocks), and descend to the fallows and the newly-sown wheat fields, where an abundance of their favourite food can be readily obtained. At this season they soon become very fat, and are excellent at the table, their flesh not being inferior in flavour to that of the Woodcock or any of our most esteemed sorts of game. In these haunts they continue till severe weather approaches, when they either move nearer to the coast or migrate to the southern parts of the kingdom. They fly with strength and swiftness, and if disturbed, when in large flocks, generally perform many aerial evolutions and rapid wheelings before they again nettle on the ground. The Golden Plover is a nocturnal feeder, and during the day is commonly seen squatted upon the ground or standing asleep, with the head drawn down between the shoulders. Its food consists of earth-worms, slugs, insects, and their larva, particularly those of the Lepidopterous tribe, many rare species of which I have, upon dissection, found in their stomacha and gullet during the summer season. It rune very fast, and, when wounded, is difficult to be caught without the aid of a dog." C. plurialia (Linn.), the Golden Plover. The old male In winter plumage has the top of the head, as well as all the upper parts of the body, wings, and tail, sooty black, marked with large spots of golden yellow, disposed ou the borders of the barbs of the feathers ; sides of the bead, neck, and breast varied with ashy brown and yellowish spots ; throat and lower parts white ; quills black, shafts white towards the end; bill blackish ; feet deep ash-colour ; iris brown. Length rather more than 10 inches.