zond; and the Russian naturalists found them on the plains
between the Black and thë Caspian Seasr.
I have not been- able to trace our Golden Plover.farther
to the...eastward than this.--After, à close -examination*, ©f
various examples in the collections of the Linnean and Zoological
Societies from India,TJava,-New- Holland, and 'the
Society Isles,'. I believe, with Sir .'William Jardiné and; Mr:
Selby-,—that the Asiatic Golden Plover-is "a apeoies- distinct
from our bird,- but identical with-that of the American- - contin
en t,: in which the bird, though smaller, has àdonger beak
and longer legs, with a'greater: estent ' of - naked: space abmce
the joint, the.yellow spots on the feathera^of thedower part
of the back more oval- in shape tKarr triangularand the
axillary plumais always ash brown^-while thatV-of our Bumi-
pean bird is âs in variably'•elongated and pure wl^^ÿ--;
The adult bird in its summer plumage has lthe?$M®-hlack ;
the irides very dark- brown, almost: black V^dn the forehead a
band of white-^topdof the head, the nape of: tlic^ntcbk^ ,tFe
back, wing-coverts, tcrtials, rump, and upper tail-coverts?
greyish black,-the- edges; of all the'feathgrsiï.varièd with -triangular
shaped spots o£ gambogfif i-yefrgow ; < wing^Rrimaries
almost black ; tail-feathers obliquely-barred with sh a d o of
g a rish .while* and. brownish. black ; the ^è^eMhÿ^eid^Sifeof
the neck, “ throat," breast, and all the under siulacHifif: the
body -as far as th e vent, je t black, bounded on t-hûsMel^th
a band of white below the wing ; ' axillary plume ibfpngated;,
and pure white ; under tail-coverts'white. ,
In winteru-the - chin is white1;-front ^of the neckband the
breast, white, ' tinged with., dusky, and spotted*. withipdullyeLr
low ; the upper surface of the .body nearly as in summer.;
* M. Tèmminck, in the Fourth Fart of his Manual, sâys,dans'les régiobs iiktertropicales de l’AUcien-monde sont tou “jo uLress rseuvjêettus st tfdeuâ npolucmesa. ge Lda’h irvaecre ;d iel ncees ncoluims eastst, pesats Cpaornvsetanmu mde’innt dpivluidsu sp eetnitjei vdréanes -p atorfuatietse dcee,ss dimensions que celle de nos contrées".”"""
before and after the breeding-season the adult birds may be
seen 'for' a time J # h the breast of a mixed plumage of black
and white. * ■ Ys s '
The wh$@lengtj]§®f an adult bird rather more than eleven
inches. -„From the carpal joint to the end of the wing seven
pashes and three-quarters ; the form of the wing pointed ; the
first quill-featheritfr^l^est of the whole-. .
The plumage @‘£- adult birds of both sexes is nearly alike
at the samfspaapmd^thdiil^r but|young birds of the year
durinypheir first autumn haM the breast much darker in
'cbfenr than the same part ofrthcyold* birds m winter, and
S i n | u i d h 4 fcm g h® thefr first winter from
.parent the- greater pT^porhioh/pfJusky grey on the
„'frre^st and belly.",
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