SQUATAROLA HELVETICA. y;Z 



^loiiil), IS of Hiis order are distributed throughout the world. Tlie form is peculiar; 

 ihe leg.5 and wings are long, the tail, short, the neck moderate, while the bill is either as 

 -.liiiil as ho head or greatly lengthened, and straight, or curved up or down. The niargi- 

 ii; 1 '.nden'.ations are usually four; rarcl)^, however, only two occur. Tlie fiucula is not es- 

 ,.c,i:;lly well-curved, King, at least, twice as long, measured to the leraiinal expansion, 

 as wide at base. The head and cheeks are well feathered to the ))ill. The eggs are usually 

 id>.cLd on the ground, and the young arc covered with down when hatched and run at 

 birth. 



FAMILY I. CIIARADRID^. THE PLOVERS. 



Bill, short, not longer than the head, rather ci/lindrical, and hard at tip. Hind toe, 

 absent or rudimentary. Marginal indentations, four; inner, more than half as deep as outer. 

 Keel, abiut equal in length to the width cf the sternum. 



These birds arc rather stout, with short, well-rounded bodies and quite stout legs. 

 The head is large and the neck short. The stomach is quite muscuLir ami the coeca is very 

 well developed. The species are well distributed throughout the world. 



GENUS I. SQUATAROLA. THE FOUR-TOKD PLOVEKS. 



Gen. Cm. Bill,'imlc thick, ncarlij as lunij as head tchkh is vtry lar<ji:. Tail, sliijhllij rounded. ITnd lor, present, 

 but small. 



iMcmlicrs of tliis genus, in the adult stngo, aro black beneat'i and light above, banJi-d with dar!:e:'. Sexe=: quite sim- 

 ilar. There is but (ine species within our limits. 



SQUATAROLA HELVETICA. 



Black-bellied Plover. 

 Squatarola he/vctica Cvv., R. A 1817. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cii. Fiirm, robust. Size, large. Sternum, stout. Tongue, long. tMn, and narrow, fleshy at the tip which ia 

 pointed. 



Color. Adult in spring. Forehead to eyes and entire under parts, excepting i:ndf r \r;rg red Inil (0\eits wlich are 

 w!iit ■, bl u-k with a p;irplis!i luster. Above, excepting i>rimari.?s which ara hrown streaked witli wliito next tlic shafts, 

 white, tinged with a<liy on the sides (if neck and rump, ivreguhirly barred on all, excepting tl:c-e parts, with dark-brown. 



Adult in winter. Dark-brown above, wiih every featl.er edged and spotted with white and y.dlowisli-wliite. Be- 

 neath, whi'.e, streaked on breast, side<, and flanks with black. Axillarie-, al-o black. Feet, black. 



Youmj. Quite similar to the ab )ve Imt darker :ind tlie streakings below are more noticjable. Feet, greenisli. Bill, 

 black, iris, brown, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily known from all other Plovers by the black axillaries which are always present, and tl;e rudimentary hind toe. 

 Distributed in summer, throughout Arctic America, wintering in the S mth. 



DIMENSIONS. 



.Averase measurements of specimens from Eastrrn .\mc;ica. Length. II -35: stretch, Sa-W; wing, 7-45; tail, 2 60; hill, 

 1-25; tarsu<, I".'}. L )n ,'!n <]yK\ ii;a. U-7.3; grjit^-c exu.T. of ivia,r.-21-7.j; I >n,'.!-t wing, 8-00; tail, 3011; hill, 1-40; tai-sus, 

 2-00. Shortest specimen, U-00; smallest extent of wing, 2I-50; shortest wing, 090; tail, 2- 10; bill, 110; tarsus, \b5. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS .A.ND EGGS. 



blotched 

 X235. 



Eyg^, placed In a depre.ssionofthesoil, four in number, rather pyriform in shape, brownish-drab in color, spotted and 

 ;hed irregularly with large dark-brown nmrkings which often become confluent. Dimensions, from l'40xi!12 to 143 



