PIPING PLOVER. 367 



group, like Pluvialis, may be sectioned into those with three and those 

 with four toes. This group of ITopIopterus, both by its tai'sus and 

 wings, takes place under my genus Vancllus, and differs subgenerically 

 from the typical species merely by its longer legs, and hind toe less 

 developed, or often wanting. Pluvianus, Vieillot, distinguished by a 

 stouter bill, I never have examined, but have no doubt that it will find 

 its place in my genus Vanellus, where it may be united to my three- 

 toed Hoplopteri, or possibly become a subgenus by itself. 



Both the three-toed and four-toed species that form my subgenus 

 Oharadrius, and are so easily known by their greater size and want of a 

 collar, live in large damp meadows, or open and muddy champaign 

 countries. They hardly ever alight on the beach, or even accidentally 

 on river shores. During the nuptial season the males assume a brighter 

 vesture. They do not breed in the temperate climates of Europe or 

 North America, but only show themselves there in autumn and winter. 

 Their flesh is exquisite food. 



The Ring-Plovers on the contrary are shore birds in their habits, and 

 may be known by their diminutive size and broad white collar. They 

 frequent invariably the banks of rivers and sandy sea beaches, and it is 

 by accident if they are seen at a distance from their favorite element. 

 Their plumage does not undergo extreme changes, and merely from 

 darker to lighter. Several species breed in our climates, and their flesh 

 is hardly esculent. Although not marked by any striking physical 

 character, we regard the extensive group ^gialitis as a very natural 

 one : it has numerous species in every part of our globe. The three 

 European are modelled precisely after the same type as the present 

 species, while the three other North American have each a strong dis- 

 tinctive character peculiar to itself: in the Semipalmated it is the webbed 

 toes, in the Wilson's the powerful and acute bill, and in the Kildeer its 

 large stature and oddly colored wedge-shaped tail. 



In all our Plovers the bill is shorter than the head, rather slender, 

 straight, cylindrical, depressed at base, obtuse and somewhat turgid at 

 tip : the upper mandible is longitudinally furrowed two-thirds of its 

 length, the lower is shorter : a remarkable character consists in the small 

 opening of the bill, which is hardly cleft beyond the origin of the 

 feathers. This peculiarity affords an excellent means of distinguishing 

 them from the (Edicnemi, in which the gape extends to beneath the eye. 

 The nostrils are basal, lateral, placed in the furrow, and covered by a 

 membrane, leaving only a narrow longitudinal opening : the tongue is 

 entire, obtusely lanceolate, channelled somewhat above, convex beneath. 

 The head is large in proportion to the body, and the eyes large even for 

 the head : the forehead is prominent and the face wholly feathered. 

 The feet are either three or four-toed, with the hind toe exceedingly 

 small and raised from the ground : the naked part of the tibia is mod- 



