NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 29 



Iris brown ; no conspicuous coloring of the edges of the e3'e- 

 lids ; bill wholl}^ black ; legs pale flesh-color, sometimes with a 

 livid, at others with a yellowish, tint. Shade of the upper parts 

 intermediate between that of melodus and of semipalmatus , % 

 with a perfect black pectoral collar and bar across the vertex, the 

 nape and cervix strongly tinged with rufous, as in the western 

 species ; 9 with the bars plain grayish-brown, and with little 

 rufous; 3'oung, like the female, but duller and grayer. When 

 newly hatched, the down of the upper parts is curiously varie- 

 gated with brown and black ; the under parts are pure white ; the 

 bill and feet are as in the adult. 



None of these Plovers winter here. They come from the south 

 late in March, with constant increase during April; a part pass 

 further north in May, but many remain to breed. Excepting a 

 few stra^^ sandpipers, they are the onl}- waders of the beach during 

 June and July. Before pairing and resorting to the sand-dunes 

 to breed, they frequent the beach, sand-shoals, mud-flats, and scant- 

 berbaged salt meadows indifferently, in flocks of considerable size, 

 keeping much among themselves; their size, longer legs, and large 

 black bill render them conspicuous among their congeners ; they 

 are rather shj'^er than the rest, and J;heir note is decidedly differ- 

 ent. In those opened were found gravel, insects, soft substances 

 'apparently both animal and vegetable, and fragments of small 

 molluscs, particularly the fragile young of the Solen ensis. 



Some account of their nidification , and a description of the eggs, 

 will be found in the American Nafuralist for September, 1869. 

 This occasion is taken to repeat that the usual number of eggs is 

 three, not four. 



Squatarola helvetica. 



Abundant during the migration, particular!}^ in October. Here 

 the}^ frequent the water-edges, and the flesh is hardly so good as 

 when the}^ feed over uplands. 



Strepsilas interpres, 



Yery common during the migration, and some probably winter. 

 In May, just before they leave, ver}' perfect specimens may be pro- 

 cured. They begin to return the last of August, and soon become 

 abundant. Many of the old birds at this time retain much of 

 their spring attire, and are thus readily distinguished from the 

 young. 

 1,871.] 



