As the Ringed Plover is one of our commonest shore birds, so the present species is one of our rarest, and it will never be met with unless a special journey is made to that lonely stretch of shore, which is its only home in these islands. In habits it is almost the counterpart of the Ringed Plover, but is a true migrant, arriving in April and leaving in September. The note is a short monosyllabic whistle and quite distinct from that of the preceding species. It is a smaller bird than the Ringed Plover, which it otherwise resembles, except that the dark band across the chest is broken in the centre. Female and young resemble the male, but the band on forehead and chest is brown instead of black, and of the same colour as the upper parts. Length 6·25 in.; wing 4·25 in. THE KILLDEER PLOVER Ægialitis vocifera (Linnæus) Only two examples of this American species have been shot in England. It is a larger bird than any of our other Ringed Plovers, which it somewhat resembles, but it may be recognised by its rufous rump and upper tail coverts, a black subterminal bar and white tip to all the tail feathers except the central pair, and the presence of two narrow black bands across the breast. Length 9·5 in.; wing 6·5 in. GOLDEN PLOVER Charadrius pluvialis, Linnæus The home of the Golden Plover is on the lower slopes of those hills the tops of which the Dotterel takes as his own, for the Golden Plover prefers the cover afforded by the tall heather and the more abundant and varied insect diet of the lower lands.