CHAKADKIID.E— THE PLOVERS. 23 



Bill very large (as long as, or longer than middle toe), the terminal half of 

 the culmen much arched, the base of the gonys forming a decided angle; 

 tarsus about one and one half times to nearly twice as long as middle 

 t oe Subgenus Ochthodromus 



Bill slender, wide at base, much longer than middle toe; tarsus more than 

 twice as long as middle toe Subgenus Podasocys. 



Genus CHARADRIUS Linx.ei s. 

 Subgenus Squatarola Cuvier. 



Squatarola Cuviek, Reg. Anim. i, 1817, lfi7. Type, Tringa squatarola Linn. 



Chak. A rudimentary hind toe. Legs reticulated with elongated hexagons anteriorly, 

 of which there are five or six in a transverse row; fewer behind. First primary longest. 

 Tail slightly rounded. 



But a single species of this subgenus is known, this being- the 

 well-known "Beetle-head'' or "Bull-head" Plover of eastern 

 gunners, a bird of nearly cosmopolitan distribution. 



Charadrius squatarola (Linn.) 



BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. 



Popular synonyms. Beetle-head or Bull-head; Plover of eastern gunners and sportsmen; 

 Bottle-head; Black-breast. 



Tringa squatarola Linn. S. N. ed. 10, 1758, 149; ed. 12. 1766, 252. 

 Charadrius s./uatarola Naum. Vog. Doutschl. vii, 1834.250.— A. O. U. Check List. 1886. 

 No. 270— Ridgw. Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 173. 

 Tringa helveticalirsv. S.N. ed. 12, 1766. 250, 

 S<inatamla helvetica Cuv.-Cass. in Baird's B. X. Am. 1858, 697— BAIBD, Cat. N. Am. B. 

 1859, No. 510-Coues, Key, 1872, 243; Check List, 1874, No. 395;2ded. 1882, No. 580; Hi ids 

 N. W. 1874, 448— Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 513.-B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. i. 

 1884, 132. 

 Charadrius helveticus Licht.-Nutt. Man. ii.J834.26. Aud. Orn. Biog. iv. 1838,280, pi. 

 334; Synop. 1839, 221 ; Birds Am. v, 1812 199, pi. 315. 

 Charadrius apricarius Wilson. Am. Orn. vii. 181:;. n. 

 Har. Nearly cosmopolitan, bul chiefly the northern hemisphere; br ling in the ex- 

 treme northern parts of its range, migrating in winter to southern portions, ex' ending, in 

 America, as far as Brazil and Colombia. Bermudas, an l throughout the Wesl [ndies. 



Sp. Cham. Hill and legs strong; wings long: a very small rudimentary hind toe. Sum- 



mer plumage: Around the base of the bill tothe eyes, k before, and under parts of 



body, black; upper parts grayish whit", nearly pure and unspotted on the forehead; sides 

 ,,f tin> neck ami rump tinged with ashy, and ha\ ing irregular transverse spots >>f brownish 

 black on the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts; the brownish black frequently predomi- 

 nating on those parts, and the rump also frequently with transverse bars of the same. 

 Lower part "f tin' abdomen, tibia, and under tail-coverts, white, (.mills brownish black, 

 light "i- on their inner webs, with a middle portion of their shafts white, and a narrow longi- 

 tudinal strip.' of white frequent!: the shorter primaries and secondaries, Tail white, 



with transverse Imperfect narrow bands of black. The black color of the under parts gen- 

 i ly with a faint i. ion . ,i or c 'pi" si y lustre, and presenting a ycale-like appearance; the 

 brownish black of the upper parts with a greenish lustre. Bill and legs black; iris brown. 

 Youngtr and winter i^umn^r . Entire upper parts dark brown, with oiroular and Irregular 

 unall spots of white, and frequently of yellow, oaosl numerous on the wing-ooverts; upper 



