131 



VANELLUS. LAPWING. 



The Lapwings are very intimately allied to the Plovers, 

 from which they differ chiefly in having a small hind toe, 

 and in the form of the wing, which, in place of being narroAv 

 and acuminate, is broad toward the end and rounded. They 

 are beautiful and lively birds, varying in size from that of a 

 Ringed Plover to that of a Whimbrel, and having the body 

 moderately full, the neck of ordinary length, the head rather 

 small, roundish, and anteriorly convex. 



Bill shortish, straight, slender, compressed ; upper man- 

 dible with the dorsal outline straight and slightly decimate 

 for two-thirds of its length, then convexo-declinate to the 

 end, the edges soft and slightly inflected, the tip rather 

 obtuse, the nasal groove very long ; lower mandible with the 

 angle rather long and narrow, the dorsal outline ascending 

 and slightly convex, the sides concave at the base, convex 

 towards the end, the edges inflected, the tip narrow but 

 blunt. Gape-line straight. Tongue soft, of moderate length, 

 slender, trigonal, channelled above, pointed. Fauces very 

 narrow. (Esophagus narrow, without dilatation ; proventri- 

 culus small, its glands oblong ; gizzard very large and 

 powerful, its muscles distinct and extremely firm ; its cuti- 

 cular lining rugous ; intestine long ; cceca moderate, cylin- 

 drical. 



Nostrils small, linear, pervious, sub-basal, near the 

 margin. Eyes large and full ; both eyelids densely feathered. 

 Aperture of ear rather large, roundish. Feet of moderate 

 length or long, very slender ; the tibia long, bare above 

 the joint ; tarsus of moderate length, or long, anteriorly 

 covered with numerous scutella, laterally reticulated. Toes 

 short, slender, three before, the hind toe extremely small, 

 the second a little shorter than the fourth, which is con- 



