62 BULLETIISr 50^ UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



^Charadriinx Goues, Key N. Am. Birds, 2cl ed., 18S4, 597 (includes Aph 



rizidse). — Sclater and Salvin, Nom. Av. Neotr., 1873, 142 (includes 



Aphrizidae and Arenariidae). — Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.-A.m., 



Aves, iii, 1903, 350 (includes Aphrizidge). 

 ><CAarac/m?ia? Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxiv, 1896, x, 90, 145; 



Hand-list, i, 1899, xv, 150 (includes Aphrizidse; excludes "Lobivanel- 



linse"). 

 <^Charadriidx Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, Water Birds N. Am., i, 1884, 



108, 128 (excludes Anarhynchus) . 

 = Charadriidx American Ornithologists' Union, Check List, 1886, 100; 3d 



ed., 1910, 126.— Oberholser, Outl. Classif. N. Am. Birds, 1905, 2. 

 <^Lobivanellinx Sharpe, Cat. Bii-ds Brit. Mus., xxiv, 1896, x, 90, 122; Hand 



list, i, 1899, XV, 148 (genera OreopMlus, Erythrogonys, Defdippia, Sar- 



ciophorus, Lobipluvin, Microsarcops, Hoploxyptenis, Fiiloscelys, and 



Lobivanellus) . 

 <iAnarhynchidie Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, Water Birds N. Am., i, 



1884, 108, 



Large to very small Charadrii with bill shorter than head, more or 

 less swollen terminally and contracted in middle portion; hallux 

 usually absent, rarely well developed, never as long as basal phalanx 

 of outer toe; tarsus without regular transverse scutella, either before 

 or behind, but covered all round with small hexagonal scales, these 

 usually larger, and sometines with transverse tendency, on the 

 acrotarsium, where, however, never forming a single continuous 

 series. 



The Charadriidse are small or medium sized (sometimes rather 

 large) coursing birds (scarcely waders) with pigeon-like bill, relatively 

 large, round head, short neck, long and pointed wings, moderately 

 long legs with reticulated tarsi and relatively short toes, of which the 

 hinder one or hallux is usually wanting and never very large. They 

 frec{uent meadows, sea-shores, and other open tracts, whether grassy, 

 barren, or sandy, and run swiftly along the ground in a peculiarly 

 graceful manner. Many of them have melodious notes, though no 

 ' true song. 



The family is cosmopolitan, but not very numerous as to species, 

 America possessing about twenty-five, belonging to about thirteen 

 genera, of which three species (representing two Paliearctic and one 

 cosmopolitan genera) are properly stragglers from the Old World. 



KEY TO THE AMERICAN GENERA OP CHARADRIIDyE. 



a. Head crested; plumage of upper parts more or less metallic; large (wing more than 

 210 mm.). 

 b. Crest slender, pointed, recurved; hallux well-developed; wing rounded, the 

 outermost primary shorter than fourth (from outside), 

 c. Wing unarmed or with metacarpal spur very small (rudimentary); tarsus not 



more than twice as long as middle toe Vanellus (p. 64). 



cc. Wing armed with a very prominent sharp, curved-conical metacarpal spur; 

 tarsus more than twice as long as middle toe...Belonopterus (extralimital) « 



a Belonopterus Reichenbach, Handb. (Av. Syat. Nat.), 1853, p. xviii(type, by origi- 

 nal designation, Charadrius cayennensis GmeUn) . (South America; three species.) 



