176 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



mottled with black, this forming a distinct marbling on crown 

 and occiput, where the ground-color is lighter and clearer buff; 

 lower i^arts immaculate pale buff. Length 8.00-9.10, wing 

 6.00, culmen .80-.90, tarsus 1.50-1.60, middle toe .70. Eggs 1.47 

 X 1.11, varying from light olive to deep cream-color, rather 

 sparsely and irregularly speckled and lined with dark brown, 

 black, and purplish gray. Hab. Western North America, east 

 to the Great'Plains; accidental in Florida. 



281. JE.. montana (Towns.). Mountain Plover. 

 c^. Tarsus less than twice as long as bill, measured from anterior point of 

 loral feathering ; chest with a black, graj'ish, or rusty band, some- 

 times interrupted in the middle portion. (Subgenus jEgialitis 

 BoiE.) 

 d\ Nape crossed by a more or less distinct white collar. 



e\ Bill decidedly shorter than middle toe, very stout (except in 

 ^. dubia), its basal half light-colored (orange or yellow in 

 life), except in JE. dubia. 

 p. A distinct web between base of inner and middle toes. 



Above grayish brown; forehead, ring round hind- 

 neck, and lower parts white. Summer adult: 

 Lores, fore-pai't of crown, and broad band across 

 chest black (usually duller in female). Winter 

 plumage : Similar to summer dress, but black 

 markings replaced by grayish brown. Young : 

 Similar to winter plumage, but feathers of upj)er 

 parts margined terminally with light buff. Downy 

 young: Above pale grayish brown, mottled with 

 black ; frontal crescent, collar round hind-neck, 

 and entire lower parts white. Length 6.50-7.50, 

 wing 4.65-5.00, culmen .48-55, tarsus .95-1.05. 

 Eggs 1.26 X -94, pale dull buffy or olive-buff, 

 speckled or irregularly spotted, chiefly on or 

 around larger end, with dark brown or black. 

 Hab. Whole of North America, breeding far north- 

 ward ; south, in Avinter, throughout West Indies, 

 Middle America, and northern South America, to 

 Brazil, Peru, and Galapagos... 274. IE. semipal- 

 mata Bonap. Semipalmated Plover. 

 /^ No web between base of inner and middle toes. 



g^. Upper parts deep grayish brown, as in jE. semipal- 



mata. 



h}. Bill stout, the basal half light-colored (j^ellow or 



orange in life) ; no whitish bar behind black 



patch on fore-part of crown. (Plumage very 



similar, at all stages, to that of uE. semipal- 



