S quat AROL a shelve,TioA^Linnseu s *) ,i
THE .GKEY PLO VEE.
Squatarola cinerea.
Squatarola, Leackf.— Bill nearly as loijg asv the head^ rather strong, upper
mandible straight to;t'he end of the nasal' groove islljtfg Wide ! 'then
raised and dscurved to the tip ^nostrils suhbasal, linear.* Wings long, ’pointed,
the first qnilhfeathep tlie longest Legs* of. moderate length, slander, lowen-part
of the tibia*naked : tarsi r„ e s^ p ^ t^ Tqss fpiig in number : three directed
foreretrd, - and slightly ’ w e b h e ^ t their "base, the” fourth Plfimf,'' rudi^ental,
elevated.1.
In its habits, -its I general appearance, and in its double
moult, ,or periodicalvchange,j»tp-»black-;on the under surface
€ Tringa hebietica, 3Linnseus>,* Syst. Nat. i. Ed. 1% p.-25b ( 1 ^ ) , cs Brisson
t -%si- Cat. M. j&gg Brit. Mug.
of the bódy during - the breeding-season, th e4 Grey-Plover
very closely resembles the Golden-Plover*, butl-the presence -
óf fa hind-toe; though small, prevents-jb ‘being included in -
the genus -Gharadriu?.* It is a larger-bird-than the^Golden
Plover, with a more robust bill," and " looks -whiter about, the
tail; its most distinguishing - characteristic-when * onbthe
wing is,- however,*-’in the * colour of- the axillary plu£nes$
which are %laehi 1 r ’’ ~ t
'-The Grey Clover iS-by* no means-so'abundant as . the
preceding ■ species, and- isr as a*'rulë,'*more confined to-the
sea-coast and' its -vicinity- during ’its . visits,- whiêhY extend
from-early auttimn to -late spring. Axfew old black-breasted
birds return from-their northern * 'breeding- quarters by thé
end o f’duly or-beginning oPAugust g g g g g young arrive in
August-and Séptember; and-tha-bulk of the old birds come •
in1 ..October* • and Novembër, by which-time the majority have •
assumed the winter-garb; although'-ahMck-b-reasted-speoimen
was deserved at^etaley by Mr. Corjlêaux onihe-2tst -October,
18fg. I i their I return - northwards,-'they ■ may • be jj observed
on- tlA-s‘ea,-shore- and mud flats 'in flocks »of 'from - tw enfy m* -i
tMrtyhp - toi a hundred'-in May, by which lime they'-have
assumed the black breast.' Some ifiay be %eeh i-fi June, and
occasionally in* Ju ly : doubtless birds which aré^not breeding
t&hseasom, for there is no-* proof that-any havé-evennested
in'1 this • country.'^In'-Ireland, ahbough .a regular^visitant, if
isilèss nu-merousHhan in England-and Scotland,^in'-which'
again itisfwhere localities are-equally suitable ,4mbre‘abundant
ó#-t|è -east than èn< thé west -coasts. - Mr. Gordeaux- thinks
tbaYof^those which * arrive - on- the -LincolnshireJ coast in thé
Spring,'comparatively few pa salto' thé- north of the Spurn ;
theiheoufseheing apparently in'the-direction*1©!-thé BalticV
Mr. ^Gdiretf*’is Inclined*to believe that the Grey-: Plover
breeds* on- some-ofv the: fells »-of 'Norway,-'but>-absolute -proof
appears- to' be. wanting!? Along-tMê whoie-'oflthe- coast line of
MEgfrope, -itr d*ccurs 'on thé double -migration';' and a: limitéd
nhmber' crass-the* Cónbment^hy‘ way'-ef the valleys*• -of AHe
Ehine and the Ehqne, which lead .up 4o*.the| lakes. ofr,the
Jiira district: in fact the’ specific name owing