PLOVERS. 15 



closed wings cover the whole white plumage of the back and rump. 

 Legs pale red. Obs. Some authors say they are of a fine coral red, 

 others of a red orange, and hence Belon denominated it HcBmatopiis, 

 from aijittf, blood, and nsg, the foot. 



MANTLED OYSTER-CATCHER. 



{HcBmatoptts palliatiis, Temmince.) 



Sp. Charact. — Back, scapulars, and wings, cinereous brown 3 bill and feet more 



robust. 



This species, introduced on the authority of Temminck, is found 

 in Brazil and tropical America generally, and may consequently be 

 expected occasionally on the coast of Florida. In this race, the bill 

 is constantly longer, and as well as the feet more robust. With its 

 habits, if at all diflferent from those of the common species, we are as 

 yet unacquainted. 



Note. — A third species of tliis genus, the ILsmatopus nlger of Cuvier, is like- 

 wise met with in South Africa, and Australia. This kind is a little larger than the 

 common Oyster-Catcher, with the plumage entirely black, and the bill and feet 

 coral red. 



PLOVERS. (Charadrius, Lin.) 



In these the bill is shorter than the head, rather slender, straight, 

 and compressed. Nostrils basal, notched, longitudinally cleft in 

 the middle of a large membrane, which covers the nasal fosse, the 

 groove of the nostrils also continued along two-thirds of the bill. 

 The FEET long, or only of moderate length, and slender, the 3 toes 

 directed forward ; the exterior one united to the middle toe by a short 

 membrane, inner toe generally divided, the hind one wanting. Tail 

 faintly rounded, or square. The icings of modevaXe dimensions; the 

 1st primary a little shorter than the 2d, which is the longest. 



The Plovers generally associate in small flocks, and the whole 

 emigrate in companies of greater or less extent ; the young collect 

 together, pursuing their route apart from the old, and after their 

 departure. They live principally upon small worms, and aquatic 

 insects. The common species, and the Gnignard, frequent the 

 marshes and muddy borders of the larger or smaller rivers, and 

 rarely frequent sea-shores ; the other species live more habitually 



