342 



AVES 



and wings. They are usually brown or gray, with blotches of white. 

 The hind toe is, with one exception, lacking or extremely short. 

 There are about 75 species of these mud-dwellers in the United 

 States. 



Fig. 188. y/, great blue heron. 5, night heron. C, killdeer. D, ring-necked plover 

 (From L. A. Fuertes. Courtesy of Slingerland-Comstock Publishing Co.) 



The phalaropes are small in size with lobed toes. The female is 

 more brilliantly colored than the male (which is uncommon in birds) 

 and does the courting. The male incubates the eggs. The -plover, 

 or killdeer, is one of the most beautiful of the shore birds, being 

 found along inland pools and ponds. The American golden plover 

 is found along the seashore and frequenting the banks of tide pools. 

 It migrates tremendous distances. (See p. Z^(y^ 



