70 PLUVIALIX.E. 



The muscular system is moderately developed. The pec- 

 toral and other muscles of the wing are rather large. The 

 vkin is very thin, and has a considerable quantity of fat 

 adhering. 



The digestive organs are adapted for insects, larvae, 

 worms, small Crustacea, and similar objects. No bird that 

 cats entire and live animals has a crop, and thus the Chara- 

 drianae pass their food directly to the gizzard, where, with 

 the aid of sand or gravel, it is triturated. Being then 

 delivered to the intestine, it receives the bile and pancreatic- 

 fluid. The foeces and urine, being first deposited in the 

 elliptical cloaca, are voided in a semifluid state. 



These birds are generally gregarious and migratory, 

 breeding in the northern regions. Their nest is a cavity 

 formed in sand or gravel, generally without any substance 

 intervening between it and the eggs ; which are for the most 

 part four, extremely large, pyriform, spotted and clouded 

 with dark brown. The young are born covered with long 

 soft down, run about presently, and squat when alarmed. 



The Pluvialinse run with very great speed, by short steps, 

 with the body horizontal, and the head raised. Tbey do not 

 vibrate their body, like the Scolopacinae. Their cries are 

 generally clear, loud, and mellow. Their sight is very acute, 

 and they feed by moonlight as well as by day. They frequent 

 wild and uncultivated moors or pastures, or ploughed fields, 

 or sands, or the shores of the sea or of lakes and rivers ; and 

 pick up their food directly, without generally probing for it 

 in the mud, their bills being short and firm. 



Their flight is strong, direct, on ordinary occasions sedate ; 

 but, when requisite, very rapid, their pinions whistling as 

 they fly. They often move in extended lines, or in various 

 figures, and often perform circular flights before alighting. 

 When little disturbed they are not shy, but on being perse- 

 cuted they soon learn to distrust their enemies. All the 

 species manifest great anxiety for their eggs or young, 

 feigning lameness to induce intruders to pursue them. 



The plumage is changed in autumn ; and a partial moult 

 takes place in spring, so that the colours in summer are to a 

 certain extent different, many species assuming black on the 



