of Africa to Gape . Colony; and it winters In» the northern
portions of that continent, and in Asia Minor.
In Siberia Mr. Seebohm met with it breeding as far east
as the tundras near the mouth of the Yenesei; büt;thêre he
found in the predominance an allied • specie's; • the Eastern
Golden Plover, Gharadrius fubous, Gm. The-latter may easily
be distinguished from : OUr bird by its smaller size; its' rfiore
naked tibia, and especially >by * the colour of the aqaiUaries,
which are smoke-grey, and not white as in our bird/ The
Eastern species has a wide range, from Siberia through Eastern
Asia to Polynesia, Australia, and Southern Africa, and as
a straggler it has occurred on the Red Sea y in Malta* twice;
at Malaga, ohce;-; at Lublin in Poland, bnee ; and in Heligoland;
thrice; In December, 1874, an'example^ was'found in
Leadenhall Market amongst, >a lot -lof Gölden Plovers," and
was said to corner from Norfolk' (Ibis-^1875, p. 513)’,C4>Ut
although there* is nothing improbable in this staitemdufycfche
evidence appears to be hardfy strong enough to justify the
admission of this species as a !British* ;bird.f^^A:cross?*the’
entire continent- ofriSPorth America, ranging 'southwards* in
winter, is^ found GhJ^irginicus', a ‘form* ■which-fise'êiis! to
differ from 'GU, -fubiis in/belt% enuthe ave&gop ‘sö&èwhat
larger, and in having shorferran®er! secondaries. f \I To "this
form has' been ft ascribed a bird killed > ofi Heligoland* (Ibis,
1877, p. 165); and in the autumn of 1882," Mr.
Gurney,!'jun:,- found-in Leadenhall Market an 'example
which had, no: doubt,- been killed somewhere »in Western
Europe (Ibis;'1883, p. 198)^ To complete "the history of
the rgnge of ,our< -Golden’Plover,t|%fhiust ’be said-that one
was shoteon»the Noursoak Peninsula, Greenland, in breeding-
plumage, >ki >tho spring of 1871,'vand* Br. -Einsch'believed
that this' species - bred- in East^'Greenkiud; it has ; also
been, said -to bav&.beèfr.oblained'at'Godh&vn, and in? Millet
Straits (Ibis,-1860', p.' liGö^bühperhapsdt was nbt accurately
distinguished from its American congehero^
. The adult bird -in' its; summer plumage-;has -the ^Msk-
black; the irifeSiweryAdark brown / almost black; On »the
forehead a band of white; top of * the-'head,'the nape''óf
the neck, the back, wing-coverts, tertials, rump, and upper
tail-coverts, greyish-black, the edges- pf all the feathers
varied, with- triangular-shaped spots of gamboge-yellow;
wing-primaries almost black; „tail-feathers obliquely barred
with shades of greyish-white and brownish-black; the loss*
chin, sides of the neck,' throat, breast,- and all the under
surface of the body-as far as fhewent,'jbl-black, bounded
on the sides with a band of white below the wing; axillary
plume elongated, and pure white'; under tail-coverts white.
In winter the chin 'is white; front of the neck and the
breast, white, dinged- With dusky, and spotttrd-with dull
yellow; the upper surface1-of the-body ^nearly as* in summer;
before and after tho'breeding-season the -adultbirds may be
seen fora time with the breast'ofo a mixed plumagAqfhiack
and white. **
The whole length an adult bird is ratb'er^more' than
eleven“' inches*. ' * 'From the carpal joint-to'"the end of-the
wing#seven inches and threerquarters.fy , i*
‘•The--plumage $df adult-birds of both sexei^'is>nearly alike •
at the same season-of-the-year ; but fybung birds of the
year during their first autumn'iaave the breast much darker
in colour than -the Same part ofvthe old birds in winter,
and may be distinguished throughout their, first winter from
parent birds-by the* greateriproportiomof 'dfisky grey on.t&g,
breast and belfy. |g j||| g| I - * £.
u The outline« below' represents the breastbone ot the
Golden Plover.