212 NEW-YORK FAUNA — BIRDS. 



THE KILLDEER, OR KILLDEER PLOVER. 



Charadrius vociferus. 



PLATE LXXIX. FIG. 181 (Female.) 

 (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Charadrius vociferus. LiNNiEOS, Syst. Nat. 12 ed. p. 253. 



Noisy Plover. Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 484. 



C. id., Kildeer. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 7, p. 73, pi. 59, fig. 6. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 297. 



C. id., Kildeer Plover. Nuttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 2, p. 22. 



C. id. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 368. 



Egialites id. Bonaparte, Geog. and Comp. List, p. 45. 



C. id. Audubon, B. of A. Vol. 5, p. 207, pi. 317 (male and female). Giraud, Birds of Long island, p. 218. 



Characteristics. Brownish olive. Rump orange. Front, collar and all beneath white : a 

 broad ring on the neck, and a belt on the breast, black. Tail pointed. 



Description. Bill shorter than the head, straight, turgid towards the tip ; lower mandi- 

 ble shortest. Tertials and fourth quill subequal. Legs bare for some distance above the joint : 

 outer toe connected with the inner by a web. Tail graduated ; its feathers lacerated at the 

 tips. 



Color. Head, back, wing-coverts and secondaries brownish olive. Quills brownish black. 

 Frontlet brownish, and passing back under the eye : front white ; eyelids scarlet. Rump 

 and tail-coverts tawny orange. Two broad bands across the lower part of the neck and the 

 breast, separated by a white interval. Tail-feathers tawny orange at the base, with the ex- 

 ception of the middle feathers : all with a black subterminal band ; the tips white ; the outer 

 feather on each side white, with black spots on the inner web. Female (shot May 8) : 

 Frontlet white, margined above with black, and extending obscurely above and behind the 

 eyes. Quills, except the first, spotted with white on their outer webs towards the tip ; greater 

 coverts tipped with white ; the tips of the tail-feathers emarginated in a singular manner. 

 Rump and upper tail-coverts bright orange. 



Length, 10 ■ - 1 1 • 5. Alar extent, 20 • - 21 • 0. 



The Killdeer Plover, which derives its name from a fancied resemblance of its two notes 

 to the word killdeer, breeds from Texas to Massachusetts, and ranges to the Rocky moun- 

 tains. It occurs between the 20th and 56th parallels of latitude. During summer, it keeps 

 in the interior ; but in winter, approaches the seashore. It feeds on worms, nocturnal insects 

 and grasshoppers, and its flesh is in little esteem. Its 'eggs are three or four, cream-colored, 

 blotched with black. A resident in this State during the year. 



