BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 115 



long as middle toe without claw, less than one-fifth to more than one- 

 fourth as long as wing, slender, covered with ^mall hexagonal scales, 

 these larger in front where usually more or less transverse on lower 

 portion; outer toe decidedly shorter than middle toe, the inner toe 

 still shorter; hallux absent; a distinct web between basal phalanges 

 of outer and middle toes, the space between inner and middle toes 

 with web usually minute or scarcely visible, rarely distinct. 



Coloration. — Upper parts grayish brown, including rump and upper 

 tail-coverts; under parts white, usually with a jugular or pectoral 

 band of black, grayish brown, or cinnamon-rufous, this sometimes 

 reduced to a patch on each side, or altogether absent. 



Range. — Nearly cosmopolitan, but absent from Polynesia. (Many 

 species.) 



KEY TO THE AMERICAN SPECIES OF CHARADUIUS.a 



«. A distinct web between basal phalanges of inner and middle toes; web between 

 outer and middle toes larger. (Northern North America, south in winter to 



southern South America.) Charadrius semipalmatus (p. 116.) 



aa. No distinct (if any) web between inner and middle toes; web between outer and 

 middle toes smaller. 

 h. Culmen decidedly shorter than middle toe with claw. 

 c. A more or less distinct nuchal collar of white (often uith a black one' imme- 

 diately below it); a black or grayish brown jugular band, or patch of same on 

 each side of chest. 

 d. Lores vdWx a black or gi'ayish brown stripe, extending from bill to and 

 beneath eyes to auricular region; upper parts darker grayish brown. 

 e. Bill stouter, its basal half light-colored (yellow or orange-yellow in life); 

 no white on crown. (Northern Europe, northwestern Asia, and extreme 



northeastern North America.) Charadrius Maticula (p. 120. ) 



ee. Bill more slender, wholly black or with only extreme base of mandible 

 yellow; a white bar immediately behind black patch on fore part of 

 crown. (Europe and Asia, south in winter to northwestern Africa, 

 India, New Guinea, etc.; accidental in California?) 



Charadrius dubius (p. 124). 



dd. Lores wholly white; upper parts much paler grayii^h brown or brownish 



gray. (Eastern North America, south in winter to northern Mexico, 



Greater Antilles, and Bermudas.) Charadrius melodus (p. 128). 



cc. No trace of white (nor black) nuchal collar; chest cinnamon-rufous in summer 

 adults, never with a black band. (Northeastern Asia, south in winter to 

 Philippines, Moluccas, and Australia; accidental in Alaska.) 



Charadrius mongolus (p. 132). 



a Mgialites albidipectes Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., v, March 21, 1883, 526 

 {jE(/ialitis albidipectus Ridg\vay, in Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, Water Birds N. Am., 

 i, 1884, 153), based on a specimen supposed to be from Chile, in the collection of the 

 U. S. National Museum, proves to be a South African species with wrong locality on 

 the label: Charddrius viarginatus Vioillot, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., xxvii, 1818, 138; 

 Mgialitis marginata Gurney, Ibis, 1860, 218; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxvi, 

 1896, 282; Charadrius leucopolius Wagler, Syst. Av., 1827, Charadrius, sp. 28; Charadrius 

 nivifrons, Lesson, Trait6 d'Orn., 1831, 544 (ex Cuvier, R^gne Anim., 1829, 501,= 

 nomen nudum). 



Aegialitis ocddentalis CabaMs, Journ. fiir Orn., 1872, 158; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. 

 Mus., xxvi, 1896, 295, from Province of TarapacA, Chile, I have not seen. 



