pearance in the market. Though generally a winter visitant,
I have seen occasional stragglers in summer. On the 9th July this year
(1878), for instance, I saw one fly by me in L'Ancresse Bay; this was
either a young bird, or, if an adult, was not in breeding plumage, as I
could clearly see that the throat was white--- not black, as in the
adult in breeding plumage. A few days afterwards, July 19th,
another--or, perhaps, the same--was shot by some quarry-men on the
common; this was certainly a young bird of the year, and I had a good
opportunity of looking at it. In spite of occasional stragglers of this
sort making their appearance in the summer, I have never been able to
find that the Peewit breeds on any of the Islands; but, by the 9th of
July, stragglers, both old and young, might easily come from the
opposite coast of Dorsetshire, where a good many breed, or from the
north of France.

Professor Ansted includes the Peewit in his list, but only marks it as
occurring in Guernsey. There is no specimen in the Museum at present.

103. GREY PLOVER. _Squatarola helvetica_, Linnaeus. French, "Vanneau
pluvier."--The Grey Plover is a regular but by no means numerous
visitant to the coast of all the Islands during the winter months, but I
have never found it in flocks like the Golden Plover. A few fall victims
to the numerous gunners who frequent the shores during the autumn and
winter, and consequently it occasionally makes its appearance in the
market, where I believe it often passes for a Golden Plover, especially
in the case of young birds on their first arrival in November; but for
the sake of the unknowing in such matters, I may say that they need
never be deceived, as the Grey Plover has a hind toe, and also has the
axillary plume or the longish feathers under the wing black, while the
Golden Plover has no hind toe and the axillary plume white: a little
attention to these distinctions, which hold good at all ages and in all
plumages, may occasionally save a certain amount of disappointment at
dinner time, as the Grey Plover is apt to taste muddy and fishy, and is
by no means so good as the Golden Plover.

It is included in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as occurring
in Guernsey. There are two specimens in the Museum, both in winter
plumage. Indeed, I do not know that it even remains long enough in the
Channel Islands to assume, even partially, the black-breast of the
breeding plumage, as it so often does in