598 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS.— LIMICOL^. 



are crested. These are all near Vanellus proper, and a part of them are 4-toed. Our species 

 are found along the seashore, by the witer's edge in other open places, and in dry plains and 

 fields. They all perform extensive migrations, appearing with great regularity in the spring 

 and fall, and most of them breed far northward. They are all more or less gregarious, except 

 when breeding. Tliey run and fly with great rapidity ; the voice is a mellow whistle ; the 

 food is cliiefly of an animal nature. The eggs are commonly four in number, speckled, very 

 large at one (md and pointed at the other, placed with the small ends together in a slight nest 

 or mere •depression in the ground. The sexes are generally similar, but the changes with age 

 and season are great. 



^ Analysis of Genera. 



Toes 4. 



Head not crestted. 



Tarsi scutellate in front ; toes cleft to base Aphriza 221 



Tarsi reticulate ; toes with basal web Squatarola 216 



Head with a long flowing crest '.'.'...'. Vanellus 220 



Toes 3. 



Plumage of upper parts speckled ; no rings or bands of color about head or neck . . . Charadnus 217 



Plumage of upper parts not speckled ; rings or bands of color about head and neck. 



Tarsus not nearly twice as long as middle toe without claw ^gialites 218 



Tarsus about twice as long as middle toe without claw Podasocys 219 



216. SQUATARO'LA. (Ital. sg-watoroZa, name of the species. Fig. 416.) Four-toed Plover. 



A small but distinct hind toe, contrary to the rule in this family. Tail less than half as long as 



wing. Tarsus much longer than middle toe and 



claw. Tibia bare below, reticulate like the 



tarsus. Basal web between outer and middle 



toes. Upper plumage speckled, lower black or ,^B!^-c.'--^s^-->, ~" 



white ; no rings or bars of color about head or . -.„, __^^^'**''''^~^^^^"'^^ 



neck. Legs dark-colored. Tail fully barred. H^^ — -^ ^^^^3 |pit^'^^^^a-^' 

 Seasonal changes of plumage very great ; sexes ^ 



alike. 

 580. S. helve'tica. (Lat. Helvetica, Helvetian, Swiss. "'^^E^ 



Fig. 417.) Swiss Plover. Black-bellied 

 Plover. Bull-head Plover. Whistling 

 Field Plover. Ox-eye. (J 9 , in summer : 

 Upper parts fretted with ])lackish and ashy- white, Fig. 416. — Bill and hind toe of Squatarola, nat. 



the feathers being white basally, then black, size. (Ad nat. del. E. C.) 



tipped and usually scalloped with white. Upper tail-coverts mostly white, with few dark 

 touches. Fore-head, line over eye and thence more broadly over side of neck, the lining of 

 wings, tibiae, vent and under tail-coverts, white. Sides of head to an extent embracing the 

 eyes, axillary plumes, and entire under parts (except as said), black. Tail closely barred with 

 black and white. Primaries dark brown, blackening at tips, vvdth large basal areas and a 

 portion of their shafts, white. Bill and feet black. Length 11.00-12.00; wing 7.00-7-50; 

 tail 3.00; biU 1.00-1.25 ; tarsus 2.00; middle toe and claw 1.33; tibi« bare 1.00. But such 

 a bird as this rarely seen in the U. S. $ ^ , old, in fall and winter, as usually seen in U. S. 

 Under parts white or whitish, anteriorly speckled or mottled with grayish-brown; axillary 

 plumes, however, black, as before ; a good color-mark of the species, in any plumage, in com- 

 parison with the golden plover. Birds changing show every mixture of black and white below. 

 $ 9 , young : Similar to winter adults, but upper parts speckled with golden-yeUow, as in 

 C. dominicus, most of the feathers having edgings of this color. Feet grayish-blue. A large 

 stout plover, with a little hind toe, commonly diffused over most parts of the world : in America, 

 breeding in Arctic regions, flocking south and north in fall and spring, preferably coastvdse ; 

 common, but less so than C. dominicus. Eggs 4, pyriform, 1.90 to 2.30 long by 1.40 to 1.45 

 broad ; drab or dark brownish clay-color, very heavily marked, especially on the larger half of 



