peters: birds of the Dominican republic. 405 



35. Pagolla wilsoma rufinucha (Ridgway). 

 Titire de Playa. 



Ten specimens, both sexes, Monte Oisti, Gaspar Hernandez. 



The Rufous-naped Plover occurs along the sand-beaches of the 

 north coast wherever the beach is wide enough to allow a belt of dry 

 sand above high-water mark. Birds taken at Gaspar Hernandez on 

 March 1-4 appeared to be paired. 



All the specimens taken are P. w. rufinucha. The West Indian 

 resident form may be easih' distinguished from true P. w. wilsonia by 

 the darker color of the upper parts, constant in both sexes and by the 

 much richer tone to the rufous on the nape and the sides of the head, 

 particularly in the male. 



Both races average about the same size as shown in the following 

 table. 



P. w. wilsonia. 

 Five males, S. E. United States, March to May. 



Wing Tail Culmen Tarsus 



120 mm. 54.5 mm. 21.2 mm. 29.6 mm. 



Five females S. E. United States, March to May. 

 120.5 55 20.8 29.2 



P. w. rufinucha. 



Six males from the West Indies, February and March. 

 120.5 53 21.2 30.8 



Seven females from the West Indies, February, March, and July. 

 119.8 53.4 21.4 29.3 



As regards the use of the specific name crassirostris Spix for the 

 Rufous-naped Plover, Hellmayr has shown (Abhandl. K. Bayer, 

 akad. wiss., 1906, 22, p. 715) definitely that Spix's type was undoubt- 

 edly a wanderer from North America and that the name Charadriv^ 

 crassirostris Spix (Aves Bras., 1825, 2) must therefore be cited as 

 a synonym for Pagolla w. wilsonia (Ord) Wilson, Amer. Ornith., 

 1814). 



