go WADING BIRDS. 



circles, and become more clamorous, piping out, in a tone 

 of alarm, 'ke-hee* and Tceeh, Tceeh, then falling off into a 

 more feeble kee-boo, with occasionally a call of kib. At 

 times, in the same sad and wild accent with the vociferous 

 Lapwing, we hear a cry of kee-ivee, and even the same pai' 

 wee, pee-voo, and pai-voo. When in hurry and consterna- 

 tion, the cry resembled 'pit, 'pit, 'pit, 'pt. Sometimes, in 

 apparent artifice, for the defence of their tender brood, be- 

 sides practising alarming jestures, they even squeak like 

 young birds in distress. 



The food of this species is quite similar with that of the 

 Semipalmated Ring Plover ; indeed the birds are scarcely 

 to be distinguished but by the paleness of the plumage in 

 tlie present, and the shortness of the web between the ex- 

 terior toes. They are usually fat, except in the breeding 

 season, and much esteemed as game. 



The Piping Ringed Plover, is nearly of the same size as the Semi- 

 palmated species, exceeding it scarcely half an inch in length, with the 

 bill of the same two colors, and somewhat stouter. The front, side of 

 the face, a broad ring round the neck, and the whole of the lower 

 parts pure white, except the side of the breast, which is marked with 

 a broad and somewhat curving patch of black, never extending so 

 far forward on the neck below as to form a continuous ring. Another 

 patch of black extends across the front before and between the eyes. 

 Head and upper parts pale cinereous, tinged with brown, lightest on 

 the head, and darkest on the shoulder of the wing. Primaries, dusky 

 brown, nearly white on their inner webs, and with a narrow, white 

 patch along the anterior part of the shafts ; the lesser primaries white 

 towards the base, and on the greater part of the outer web ; the 

 greater coverts broadly tipt with white ; secondaries nearly white, 

 except at their outer extremities ; subaxillary plumage pure white. 

 Tail nearly even, the 2 outer lateral feathers wholly white, (in the 

 male,) the succeeding feather with a dusky blotch, and the next 

 broadly tipt with white, the central feathers white, tinged with brown 

 above, gradually becoming dusky towards their extremities. Eye, 

 black, surrounded with a narrow ring of yellow. Legs bright yel- 



* The first syllable uttered with a guttural lisp 



