154 PE^COCIAL GEALLATORES — LIMICOL^. 



narrow, the Ijreast by a broader, band of black (or grayish in young and winter dress). 

 In summer, band across fore part of crown, auricuUirs, narrow jugular band, and broad 

 pectoral zone black ; pileinu and nape usually rufous, more or less mixed with brown- 

 ish gray centrally (sometimes almost wholly grayish, like back). In winter, pileum and 

 nape brownish gray, like the back, and all the black markings replaced by grayish. 

 Wing, 4.75-5.00; cubnen, .65-.75 ; depth of bill at base, .18-.20; tarsus, 1.25; middle 

 toe, .7(")-.75. Jlah. Southern South America. 

 9. iE. mongolica. In summer, whole breast and nape clear cinnamon-rufou^, and top of 

 head tinged with the same; lores, sub-orbital region, and aurieulars black, the former bor- 

 dered above by a white line, sometimes meeting over the forehead ; chin, throat, lore- 

 neck, belly, and crissum pure white ; upper parts brownish gray. In winter, the rufous 

 entirely absent ; forehead and lower parts white, the breast crossed by a faint grayish 

 brown l)ar, darkening into a dusky patch on each side ; aurieulars and loral streak 

 somewhat dusky. Wing, 5.15-5.40. Hab. Asia in general, breeding northward ; Choris 

 Peninsula, Alaska. 



.ffigialitis semipalmata. 



THE SEMIPALMATED RING PLOVER. 



Tringa hiaticula, Wilson, Am. Oni. VII. 1813, 65, pi. 59, f. 3 (nee Linn). 



Charadrius hiaticula, Ord, eJ. Wils. VII. 69. 



Charadrius semipahnatus, Bonap. Comp. List, 1838, 45. 



jEgialites semipahndus, Caban. J. f. 0. 1856, 425. — Cassix, in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 694.— 



Baiud, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 507. — Coues, Key, 1872, 244; Check List, 1873, no. 899 ; 



2d ed. 1882, No. 586. — Eidgw. Xom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 517. 

 Charadrius brevirostris, Max. Beitr. IV. 769 (Brazil). 



Hab. North America in general, breeding in the Arctic and Sub-arctic districts, migrating 

 south in winter throughout the tropical regions, as far as Brazil and Peru. Bermudas ; whole of 

 West Indies ; Galapagos. 



Sp. Char. Small ; wings long, toes connected at base, especially the outer to the middle toe. 

 Front, throat, ring around the neck, and entire under parts, white; a band of deep black across 

 the breast, extending around the back of the neck below the Avhite ring. P>and from the base of 

 the bill, under the eye, and wide frontal band above the wliite band, black. Upper parts ashy 

 brown ; quills l)ro\vni.<Ii black, with their shafts white in a middle portion, and occasionally a lan- 

 ceolate white spot along the sliafts of the shorter primaries ; shorter tertiaries edged with white ; 

 greater coverts tipped with white. Middle feathers of the tail ashy brown, with a wide cubter- 

 minal band of brownish black, and narrowly tipped with white ; two outer tail-feathers white, 

 others intermediate, like the middle, but widely tipped with white. Bill orange-yellow at base, 

 black terminally ; legs pale flesh-color. Female similar, l)ut rather lighter colored. Youuf/ with 

 the black replaced by ashy Ijrown, the feathers of the upper parts bordered with paler. Downy 

 young: Above, pale grayish lu-own, mottled with black: a frontal crescent, broad nuchal collar, 

 and entire lower parts white. 



Total length, alwut 7 inches ; wing, 4.75; tail, 2.25 inches. 



The " Ring Plover " of America is common to the whole of North America, not 

 even excepting its more northern portions. It is apparently as abundant on the 

 shores of the Pacific as of the Atlantic, and during its migrations is common on 

 the margins of the lakes, rivers, and ponds of the interior. It probably breeds in 

 the more northern portions of the United States ; but, so far as we are aware, its 

 nest has never been taken within our limits. A few pass the summer on the shores 

 of Lake Koskonong, in Wisconsin, but they are not known to breed there. Audubon 

 is mistaken in saying that they confine themselves in the spring to the sandy beaches 

 of our sea-coasts. They are quite as numerous, and perhaps more so, about the 

 collections of fresh water, in the interior, wherever they can find suitable food. 



