356 RINGED PLOVER. 



and the moment they think you observe them, they spread out their 

 wings and tail, dragging themselves along, and imitating the squeaking 

 of young birds ; if you turn from them they immediately resume their 

 proper posture until they have again caught your eye, when they dis- 

 play the same attempts at deception as before. A flat dry sandy beach, 

 just beyond the reach of the summer tides, is their favorite place for 

 breeding. 



This species is subject to great variety of change in its plumage. In 

 the month of July I found most of those that were breeding on Som- 

 mers's Beach, at the mouth of Great Egg Harbor, such as I have here 

 figured ; but about the beginning or middle of October they had become 

 much darker above, and their plumage otherwise varied. They were 

 then collected in flocks ; their former theatrical and deceptive manoeuvres 

 seemed all forgotten. They appeared more active than before, as well 

 as more silent ; alighting within a short distance of one, and feeding 

 about without the least appearance of suspicion. At the commencement 

 of winter they all go off" towards the south. 



This variety of the Ringed Plover is seven inches long, and fourteen 

 in extent ; the bill is reddish yellow for half its length, and black at 

 the extremity ; the front and whole lower parts pure white, except the 

 side of the breast, which is marked with a curving streak of black, 

 another spot of black bounding the front above ; back and upper parts 

 very pale brown, inclining to ashy white, and intermixed with Avhite ; 

 wings pale brown, greater coverts broadly tipped with white ; interior 

 edges of the secondaries, and outer edges of the primaries white, and 

 tipped with brown ; tail nearly even, the lower half white, brown towards 

 the extremity, the outer feather pure white, the ne^vt white with a single 

 spot of black ; eye black, and full, surrounded by a narrow ring of 

 yellow ; legs reddish yellow ; claws black ; lower side of the wings pure 

 white. 



