84 PLUVIALIS. PLOVER. 



stout as a Heron's, another with long spurs on its wings, 

 some with scutella on the tarsus, and some with scales only, 

 some with four toes even, the wings and tail also varying. 

 Now, we cannot reasonably group all these birds into a 

 single genus, as Wagler has done ; nor, on the other hand, 

 can we take very minute characters of which to form genera, 

 otherwise, in most cases, each species will constitute a genus. 

 But, acting upon the principle of associating species evidently 

 related, so as to form groups of moderate extent, and capable 

 of being intelligibly defined, we may, taking the first species 

 described by Linnaeus, Charadrius Hiaticula, and adding to 

 it all those allied in form, colours, and habits, constitute a 

 genus, to which some give the name iEgialites, proposed by 

 Brehm, others Hiaticula. Those larger species, with mottled 

 or streaked plumage, somewhat longer legs and neck, in- 

 cluding the Golden Plover, may form a genus to which we 

 might leave the Linnaean name Charadrius, though we should 

 prefer that of Pluvialis, employed by Brisson, Ray, and many 

 other writers. The still larger birds with longer and stouter 

 legs, broader wings, rounder heads, and stronger bills, have 

 by most recent authors been referred to the genus (Edic- 

 nemus. 



The Plovers, thus restricted, form a genus of moderate 

 extent, and of which three species occur in Britain. They 

 are all of rather small size, with the body ovate and rather 

 full ; the neck of moderate length ; the head rather small, 

 roundish, somewhat compressed, and much rounded above. 



Bill nearly as long as the head, straight, rather slender, 

 compressed; upper mandible with the dorsal line straight 

 and slightly decimate for two-thirds of its length, then 

 bulging a little, or arcuate to the end, the nasal groove long 

 and rather wide, the edges slightly inflected, the tip narrow, 

 but rather obtuse ; lower mandible with the angle rather 

 long and narrow, the dorsal line ascending and slightly 

 convex, the sides concave at the base, convex toward the 

 end, the edges inflected, the tip narrow, but rather blunt ; 

 the gape-lino straight. Mouth very narrow, as is the palate, 

 on which are two longitudinal ridges, and anteriorly a double 

 series of large papillae. Tongue rather long, very narrow, 



