GRALLATORES : CHARADRID^. 253 



the body, light brown ; the rump and upper tail-coverts 

 rufous ; the front, and lines over and under the eye, white ; 

 above the white band in front is one of black ; a black 

 band on the breast, and a black ring around the neck ; 

 the throat is white, and this color extends upwards around 

 the neck ; the under parts, with the exceptions named, are 

 also white. It takes its popular name from its peculiar 

 note. 



The Mountain Plover, A. montanus, Cass., of Western 

 North America, is about nine inches long, the wing six 

 inches. 



Wilson's Plover, A. Wilsonius, Cass., of the Atlantic 

 Southern States and South America, is smaller than the 

 preceding. 



The King Plover, or Semi-palmated Plover, A. scmi- 

 palmatus, Cab., of all temperate North America, is about 

 seven inches long, and the wing four and three quarters 

 inches ; the front, throat, a ring around the neck, and 

 the under parts, white ; a band of black across the breast, 

 which extends around the back of the neck below the 

 white ring ; a band from the base of the bill under the 

 eye, and a wide frontal band above the white one, black ; 

 the upper parts light ashy-brown with a tinge of olive. 



The Piping Plover, A. melodns, Cab., of the eastern 

 coast of North America, is seven inches long, the wing 

 four and a half inches ; the forehead, a ring round the 

 neck, and entire under parts, white ; a black band in 

 front above the white one, and a black band encircling 

 the neck before and behind, immediately below the ring 

 of white ; the head above and upper parts of the body 

 light brownish-cinereous ; the quills dark brown marked 

 with white ; the tail tipped with white, and the outer 

 feathers white, and middle ones with a subterminal band 

 of black. 



The Western Plover, A. nivosns, Cass., of California, is 



