194 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



moulters, but when one sees ragged birds both in the last of May and early in 

 July one is inclined to think that at least some birds do not attain the lull 

 nuptial plumage the first year. It is rare to see a full black-breasted bird after 

 the middle of August. 



The young birds with their backs spotted with yellow, their breasts streaked 

 with gray, begin to come about September 3d, but older birds are frequently 

 found in these flocks. 



The black breasts of the full adults are very noticeable, contrasting beauti- 

 fully with the white of the sides of the neck. In flight, the white bands on the 

 wings at the junction of the remiges and greater coverts, and the white rumps 

 or rather upper tail coverts are conspicuous marks in both old and young birds 

 and at once distinguish them from the Golden Plover. In the latter bird, the 

 white band over the eye contrasting with the black crown is diagnostic, the 

 Black-bellied Plover having a light crown. Another diagnostic mark is the color 

 of the axillaries which are black in the Black-bellied Plover and show very con- 

 spicuously as the bird starts to fly, or when it is slowly folding the wings on 

 alighting. The black axillaries contrast sharply with the white of the inner sur- 

 face of the wings. In the Golden Plover, the axillaries are ashy. Another dis- 

 tinctive point is the presence of a small, knob-like hind toe in the Black-bellied 

 Plover, while the Golden Plover has no hind toe. One would hardly believe it 

 possible to see this hind toe in the living Black-bellied Plover but such is the 

 case. Both Mr. Hoffmann and myself, studying a couple of immature birds on 

 the beach at Ipswich, plainly saw the hind toes with binoculars at a distance of 

 forty yards, and with my telescope I had made them out at nearly twice this 

 distance. 



In the immature plumage, the two species closely resemble each other as 

 they walk on the sands, but the Golden is smaller and darker. In flight, the 

 white rump and white band on the wings at once distinguishes the larger bird. 

 The color of the axillaries and the presence or absence of a hind toe as already 

 explained, should be borne in mind. 



125 [272] Charadrius dominicus Miill. 



American Golden Plover, "Pale-belly"; "Green-back"; " Green Plover." 



Accidental spring, rare autumn transient visitor ; August 2310 Novem- 

 ber 2. 



I have no certain spring record of this bird, which goes north by the 



