208 HISTORY OF THE 



Cliaradrius squatarola (Linn.). 



BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. 

 PLATE XII. 



Migratory; rare. Arrive early in April to late in May. I 

 have no record of their return; think they go south chiefly by 

 the sea shores. 



B. 510. E. 513. C. 580. G. 235, 97. U. 270. 



Habitat. Nearly cosmopolitan, but chiefly in the northern 



hemisphere; breeding far north and migrating south in winter; 



in America, to Brazil and New Granada. 



Sp. Char. "Bill and legs strong; wings long; a very small rudimentary hind 

 toe. Summer: Around the base of the bill to the eyes, neck before and under 

 part of body black; upper parts white, nearly pure and unspotted on the fore- 

 head; sides of the neck and rump tinged with ashy, and having irregular trans- 

 verse spots of brownish black on the back, scapulars and wing coverts; the 

 brownish black frequently predominating on those parts, and the rump also fre- 

 quently with transverse bars of the same. Lower parts of the abdomen, tibia and 

 under tail coverts white, quills brownish black, lighter on the inner webs, with 

 a middle portion of their shafts white, and a narrow longitudinal stripe of white 

 frequently on the shorter primaries and secondaries. Tail white, with trans- 

 verse imperfect narrow bands of black. The black color of the upper parts 

 generally with a faint bronze or coppery luster, and presenting a scale-like ap- 

 pearance; the brownish black of the upper parts with a greenish luster. Bill 

 and legs black; iris brown. Younger and winter plumage: Entire upper parts 

 dark brown, with circular and irregular small spots of white, and frequently of 

 yellow, most numerous on the wing coverts; upper tail coverts white. Upper 

 parts white, with short longitudinal lines and spots of dark brownish cinereous 

 on the neck and breast; quills brownish black, with a large longitudinal space 

 of white on their inner webs and also on the outer webs of the shorter primaries. 

 Young: Upper parts lighter, and with the white spots more irregular or less 

 rounded; narrow lines on the neck and breast more numerous." 



Iris brown; bill and claws black; legs and feet dark blue. 



I have found this species quite common upon both coasts, 

 but rare inland, where it seldom stops except to rest in its mi- 

 gratory flights to and from its breeding grounds; usually return- 

 ing leisurely along the seacoast. In its habits, it is similar to 

 the Golden Plover, which in winter plumage it somewhat resem- 

 bles, but readily known by its small hind toe, as it is the only 

 one of our Plovers that has the same. 



