210 NEW-YORK FAUNA — BIRDS. 



THE PIPING PLOVER. 



Charadrius melodus. 



PLATE LXXVIII. FIG. 177 (Young). 



(STATE COLLECTION.) 



Charadrius hialicula. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 5, p. 30, pi. 37, fig. 3 (adult in spring). 



C. melodus. Ord, Supplement to Wilson's Orn. p. 212. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. Nat. History, Vol. 2, p. 296. 



Id. American Ornithology, Vol. 4, p. 74, pi. 24, fig. 3 (summer dress). 

 C. id., Piping Ringed Plover. Nuttall, Manual Ornith. Vol. 2, p. 18. 

 C. id. Audcbon, Birds of Am. Vol. 5, p. 223, pi. 321 (male and female). Giraud, Birds of Long island, p. 217. 



Characteristics. Light ash above, obscurely barred with brown. Frontlet and beneath 

 white. A black band on the front : a narrow black ring on the neck, not 

 continued in front. Inner toe cleft to the base. Bill yellow. Young, 

 no black marks on the head or breast; bill black. Length, 7"0. 



Description. Bill straight, short, subcylindrical. Inner toe shorter than the outer, and 

 cleft to the base ; a short membrane between the outer and the middle toe. 



Color. Bill orange towards the base, black at tip. Feet dusky yellow. Above light ash 

 brown. A black band on the forehead, above the white frontlet. A black ring across the 

 back of the neck, scarcely continued in front ; above this ring, on the back of the neck, is a 

 white ring. Frontlet, neck and all beneath white. Female, with the black markings of a 

 dusky brown : no white on the back of the neck. Young (shot August 10) : Frontlet, line 

 over the eye, neck and all beneath white ; tertials obscurely barred with dusky ; axillary 

 feathers white tinged with brown. Quills blackish tipped with white, and spotted with while 

 on their inner webs and shafts, becoming larger towards the smaller ones. Tail blackish, 

 tipped with white ; the two external feathers nearly all white. 



Length, 6-5-7-5. 



This species is common along the shores of this State, where it breeds. It makes a slight 

 excavation in the sand for its nest, depositing four cream-colored eggs, sprinkled with brownish 

 dots. Its food similar to that of the preceding. 



The Piping Plover or Beach-flea, or Beach-bird as it is sometimes called on Long island, 

 ranges from 24° to 53° north, breeding from New-Jersey to Nova-Scotia. It appears with 

 us about the last of April, and leaves during the month of October. It is a resident during 

 winter from South-Carolina southwardly. 



