during sümmer, a plumage differing considerably from that
which distinguishes them from the time of the autumn
moult through the winter till the following Bpring. This
alteration of colour, which is common to both sexês, consists,
in the Golden Plover, of a decided change from a dull
greyish-white to black, which pervades 'tbéwbnlè of the
under surface of the bird from the chili -to the'belly.'^'Some
new feathers, which are obtained in the spring are black,
whilst the old white feathers of winter may bekkeen in
change to black, some ef them bearing almost-êtêry possible
proportion of well-defined black and white ofi!\ the „-same
feathers, the colouring secretions having equal influence
ovèr the old as well as the new feathers. Such-birds are
said to be subjected a double -rnouft, but’that of the Spring
is only partial, not affecting thé%tfong featherf M thé wings
and ta il; the entire moult, including the ;flight,*and tail
feathers, only occurs in these bir.dsr once in - eabhr'-year,
and that in the autumn.* ,Tms latter-moultbegins in
September and is generally completed by^Kbvember-t the
partial spring change commences February and is ?over
by the middle of May.*^ Male ^birds'are generally - observed
to have acquired an alteration in the colour pf their fearers
more rich and perfect than that of the fémales-;' buhthis is
not always the case, as the extent of the rchange' appears;- to
depend upon the penStifiitional Vigour and power^ApSb®
individual bird, Whether ..male. ;ör'female, and Sphci&ens of
the latter sex are occasionally seen in a -summer' dÉp'ss ’as
ri||h, arid as perfect as that of the finest, male. -
In* the ^Fabliaux ’ .of “the* «»ai®tóöéhtury?we^'oead of
wTïóv&ïö'*öt corliex [Curlews]* ’eiP haftf s rj spitsf^
and Belppj in,15&5, writing of and-the
by which he^means the adult and theayoung,of -thi&i-speeips,
says L serhble q-MP%St- atest ; ;n0'mm%^[Fluvièr}^|reUihe
qu’pn.le prend mieux en temps pluv^^&iqu,enr?nullp auffe
Faison."”’ Asa delicacy'it has long Been^elt eemect ^K^tbe
* See observations on-tie laws which appear to influence the assumption and
changes' of plumage in birds iri the Transactions, of the -ZQological''Sociët y, '-vol', i.
page 13 ; also ‘The Zoologist,’ 187^,'fpp, 81-89,^
table, and in tho L’Estrange “ Household Book” for 1520,
the price of Gulden Plovers appears to have bpen as high as
about 2 f. each.
The Golden Plovenis. hound during summer,. breeding on
the high hills and. swampy grounds of Great Britain and
Ireland. 'I n England- i t ,is believed to breed sparingly- in
Beyhnshire; and penbapsiin .Somerset, and it is.known to. do
so in .^Breconshire and some »other. .counties of Wales and
its borders. From .Heihyshire- onwards tit;, becomes .more
abundant as a nesting species, and in .Scotland-it.is generally
distributed being especially numerous,, in S.utherlandshjre.
It is afamiliar bird ,-nn athe-meors. ofihhe ^Orknpys and
Shetland Islands, and in the Hebrides the. numbers which:
descend to the „s^ndy pastures „and .shores are,., said,; by-
Macgillivray- to; he, astonishing., | Throughout ^Ireland ifo.is
to -hejhound. breeding in, suitable, x localities.; and early in
autumn,enormous flocks.or/ stands ’jvisit the Jowlands and
coasts ofs that island- ,3ix B. Payne-G.allwey-S.aya .that, it is
the universal cuBtom .of the Irish fbwlerdOi-oalhthe,Gcddep
Plover the X Oi'.ej;,’ whilst, the true .Grey, Plpyer-is frequently
aliucled io? m.4>hemiMifei Plover’ ,m ggVThe
largest assemblages; en the, coast are to be witnesse<l;U't<the
timewheu the moonlight- enables them to^feed! a tinight.,t?5g
).The Golden./Ploverj lays four eggs, which are. large i n
proportion, to the^zubf- thejbird,- jaufhvery handsonje : ^f. a
yellowish stpne-colour, blotched and spotted with, brownish-
black, measuring 2 by* 1*4 in. About tbe middle of May, in
this country, but earlier in ,seifte- parts oft the, jCentinent*
the females, begin, ;te>j lay,, making hut, little,, artificial, uest,-
a small depression, in the .ground amidst, the heathr.beiog
generally, taken advantage of,, and lined,,with, a few..dry
fibres and stems of grass-;*a-lhe male sometimes takes part
inj,the. duties of incubation,, for Mr. R. Collett shot one from
four eggs^pudhe /19tjb June, 18.7.2, in^fhe yalley of* the
Maalselv, in Norway^ the, femalagnotebeing obseryed- The
yOUngi wh^Uft excluded,,-aresgoove^ed?with a ^beautiful particoloured
down of orange-tinted yellow* and brown ;-theyrqu.it
* The -Fowler in IrelandjVp. 174.