GLAREOLA. 153 



Adult male and female. — Above nearly uniform earthy brown; tail- 

 coverts white; a narrow line below eye white; lores black, this color 

 continued in a line below eyes to ear-coverts and across breast and 

 bordered in front with white ; sides of neck earthy brown, usually extend- 

 ing across fore breast; chin, throat, and breast light rufous or ocherous- 

 brown; abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts white; primaries, second- 

 aries, and alula blackish ; axillars and under wing-coverts bright chestnut ; 

 white at base of tail gradually increasing in extent from the central pair 

 of rectrices outward; tips brown. Bill black, scarlet posteriorly of 

 nostrils; inside of mouth dull salmon-pink; iris brown; legs and nails 

 dark seal-brown. Length of male, 530; wing, 183; tail, 78; exposed 

 culmen, 14; tarsus, 34; middle toe with claw, 29. Female, wing, 185; 

 tail, 72; exposed culmen, 15; tarsus, 34. 



A young female from Calayan, JSTovember 11, 1903, resembles the adult 

 but the black and white lines across breast are wanting, being replaced 

 by numerous blackish brown dashes a few of which are scattered forward 

 onto throat. 



"Young. — Differs from the adult in having the entire upper surface 

 blackish, mottled with broad edgings of sandy buff to all the feathers, 

 especially the quills and tail-feathers ; head mottled like the back ; cheeks 

 and under surface of body isabelline-buff ; fore neck and chest mottled 

 with black, the feathers with a broad subterminal bar or heart-shaped spot 

 of black. 



"The sandy-buff margins to the feathers become bleached to white, 

 and in many respects abraded, so that the subterminal black markings 

 of the young plumage remain as margins to the dorsal feathers. The 

 adult plumage is apparently gained by a molt, and the new feathers 

 have a slight indication of a sandy-buff fringe on the upper parts, while 

 the chest is mottled with ashy, the feathers having sandy-colored margins ; 

 the throat is at first irregularly spotted or streaked with blackish, and 

 has scarcely any signs of a black crescent. 



''There is considerable variation with regard to the rufous color o£ the 

 throat and breast, this being sometimes very rich in tint. I imagine 

 that this is a sign of nesting plumage to a great extent; but it may also 

 indicate the age of the bird, the plumage becoming more richly colored 

 as the bird gets older." (Sharpe.) 



.. "Numerous flocks seen by me on the plains of Isabela in April, 1906." 

 (Worcester.) 



During the winter months this anomalous plover visits the Philippines 

 in small numbers. Its deeply cleft bill and forked tail distinguish it 

 from all other plovers; and- even wliile on the wing it may be recognized 

 by it« circling, swallow-like fliglit. 



