780 



S YSTEMA TIC S YNOPSIS. — LIMICOLM. 



Carolinas southward and in the West Indies. Eggs of this "Beach-bird" laid preferably 

 on shingle of the beach, wliile the Seuiipalmated Plover usually goes to some grassy or 

 mossy spot back of the sand. They are pretty certainly distinguishable from those of the other 

 Ring-neck by their lighter coloring — tliere is much the same difl'erence in tone that there is 

 between the birds themselves — clay-color or palest creamy-brown, sparsely and almost uni- 

 formly marked with blackisli-brown specks, without spots of auy size or scratchy lines ; the 

 markings are sometimes mere points, and usually include neutral tint shell-spots. The eggs 

 are of about same capacity as the common Ring-neck's, but rather less elongate and pointed; 

 1.20-1.30 X 0.9.5-1.00. Musical notes more varied than the Ring-neck's. 

 2E,. 111. circumcinc'ta. (Lat. circumcincta, bound about; circum, around, and cingere, to 

 bind, girdle, cinch.) Belted Piping Plover. A black ring completed around the neck in 

 front, by connection of the black patches of the sides of the neck ; otherwise exactly like vie- 

 loda, of which it is perhaps only tlie highest breeding dress, or a variation in some individuals 

 of the species. Originally described from the Platte River, Neb., in July, probably breeding; 

 since ascertained to breed from Illinois to Lake Winnipeg, and believed to be usually devel- 

 oped in the interior, though also known to occur on the Atlantic; not recognized in winter, or 

 in imnjature plumage. (Dr. Sharpe declines to recognize the alleged subspecies in Cat. B. 

 Brit. Mus. xxiv, 1896, p. 294.) 



JR. nivo'sa. (Lat. nivosa, snowy (white). Fig. 533.) Snowy Ring Plover. Adult ^, 

 in full breeding dress : Above, pale ashy-gray, little darker than in ^. meloda. Top of head 

 with a fulvous tinge. A broad black coronal bar from eye to eye. A narrower black post-ocular 

 stripe, tending to meet its fellow on nape, and thus encircle the fulvous area. A broad black 

 patch on each side of breast ; no sign of its completion in a ring above or below ; no complete 



black loral stripe, but indication of such 

 in a small dark patch on either side of 

 base of upper mandible. Forehead con- 

 tinuous with line over eye, sides of head 

 excepting the black post-ocular stripe, 

 and whole under |)arts excepting the black 

 lateral breast-j)atches, snowy-white. No 

 white ring complete around back of neck. 

 Primaries blackish, especially at bases 

 and ends, the intermediate extent fus- 

 cous; shaft of 1st white, of others white 

 for a space; nearly all primaries bleach- 

 ing toward bases of inner webs, but only 

 some inner ones with a white area on 

 outer webs. Primary coverts like primaries, but white-tipped. Greater coverts like bacJt, 

 but white-tipi)ed. Secondaries dark brown, bleaching internally and basally in increasing 

 extent from without inward, their shafts white along their respective white portions ; long 

 inner secondaries like back. Several intermediate tail-feathers like back, darkening toward 

 ends; two or three lateral pairs entirely white; all the feathers more pointed than usual. Bill 

 very slender and acute, black. Feet black. Length 6.. 50-7.00 ; extent 13.50-14.00; wing 

 4.00-4.25; tail 2.00 or less; bill 0.60; tarsus 1.00 ; middle toe and claw 0.75. The adult 9 

 in summer closely resembles the ^, but the black parts are less pure — rather dusky gray. 

 Both sexes in winter are similar, but with the black parts replaced by grayish -brown. Young : 

 Upper plumage rather darker than as above said, and less uniform, the individual feathers with 

 pale or whitish edges. Whole crown like back ; no black or fulvous on head ; forehead white ; 

 lores slightly dusky ; black of sides of breast replaced by a patch of color of back. Bill black ; 

 tarsi pale livid bluish ; toes blackish (see CouES, Ibis, 1866, p. 275). Downy young: Above 



Fig. 533. — Snowy Ring Plover. (From Seebohm's Charadriidae.) 



