RINGNECK PLOVER. 



179 



giving their stuttering notes, while the females only uttered a brisk whistle. I never found 

 Wilson's Plover much north of Key West iluring winter, but they migrate along the coast 

 early in April, some going as far north as New Jersey to breed. 



JEGIALITIS SEMIPALMATUS. 



Eingneck Plover. 



£(jiaHtis semipa/malus Cab., Journ.; 1856, 425. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Fonn, robust. Size, not large. Bill, short, not nearly as long as head. Tail, .sliort and rounded. Tertia- 

 rics, not nearly reaching the tips of wings. Membrane between toes, large. Sternum, stout, outer marginal iudentaticms, 

 slightly deeper than inner. Tongue, not long, fleshy at base, tliin, horny at extreme tip wliioh is rounded. Se.xes, similar. 



Color. Adult. Above, darli ashy-brown, becoming lighter on the tail which is narrowly ti|)ped with white, while tlie 

 outer pair of feathers are entirely of this color and all but these are crossed by abroad band of black. AVing^, dark-brown 

 with tips base and lines on inner webs of secondaries, central elongated spots on primaries, and tip- of greater coverts, white. 

 Forehead and top of head to eye, line below it extending over ear coverts, and broad ring on breast which rapidly narrows 

 behind, black. Beneath, white, which extends in a collar back of neck. Crescent on forehea<i, also white. 



Young. Similar to the adult but the black markings are replaced by some of asliy-brown and every feather above 'a 

 edged with yellowish-white. Bill, black, yellow at base, iris, brown, and leg<, yellow, in all stages. 



()BSERV.\TIONS. 



Readily known from all other Plovers by the comparatively short bill and large webs between toes. Distributed in 

 summer, from Labrador, northward. Winters in the South. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens from Eastern America. Length, 7'05; stretch, I4'(i5; wing. 5' 12; tail, SIB; bill, 

 ■55; tarsus, -90. Longest specimen, T'50; greatest extent of wing, 1560; longest wing, 570; tail, 2 30; bill, -fiO; tarsus, 

 1-00. Shortest specimen, 665; smallest extent of wing, 14'5i»; shortest wing, 4'55; tail, 2-05; bill, -50; tarsus, -80. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND ECCS. 

 Ki/gf, placed in a depression of the soil, four in number, rather pyrifirm inshapp, creamy in color, sputtod irregularly 

 and plentifully with brown of varying shades. Duuensions from OOx r:J5 to -DSx 140. 



HABITS. 



The Ringnecks are among the first of the returning shore birds, to find their way 

 southward, some appearing early in August, wliile others continue to come until October, 

 when they suddenly disappear toward the South. The first that make their appearance, 

 are the young and females and later, the adult males follow. These Plovers have ;i loud, 

 though mellow, whistle, easily distinguished from that of other shore birds. They are fond 

 of the beaches on the open sea, where they run nimbly along tlio sand, avoiding the in- 

 coming waves with great agility, then following them out, in order to pick U[) tiie small 

 crustaceans, etc., left by the water. They also visit the pools on the salt marshes, where 

 they eat aquatic insects, and I have even taken grasshoppers from their stomachs. I ful- 

 ly expected to find this species nesting on the Magdalen Islands as they breed plentifully 

 on the neighboring coast of Labrador, but was disappointed, and I do not think that they 

 even nest there, at least in any numbers. 



.51GIALITIS MELODUS. 



Piping Plover. 



JE(/ialiti.i mtlodus C\ii., Journ. 1856,424. 



DESCRIPTION. 

 Sp Ch. Form, robust. Size, small. Tertiaries, not nearly reaching the tips of tlie wings. Tail, short and rounded. 



