PLOVERS. 171 



whitish ; upper tail-coverts barred with buffy and black ; tail brownish gray, 

 edged with butfy and barred with black ; primaries fuscous without tars ; 

 under parts buffy or whitish, the breast streaked, the sides and under wing- 

 coverts barred with black L., 13-50 ; W., 8-40 ; Tar., 1-75 ; B., 2-40. 



Range. — Breeds in the arctic regions and migrates southward, chiefly 

 through the interior, to Patagonia. 



Long Island, rare T. V., Sept. 



Eggs., three to four, pale olive-greenish, olive, or olive-brownish, dis- 

 tinctly spotted, chiefly on the larger end, with deep or dark brown, 2-04 x 1-43 

 (Ridgw.). 



This Curlew is far more common in the interior than on the At- 

 lantic coast. It is more of a field bird than either of the two pre- 

 ceding species, and frequents the dry uplands to feed on seeds and 

 insects. Mr. G. H. Mackay, in his biography of this species,* writes : 

 " Most of their habits closely resemble those of the Golden Plover. 

 In migration they fly in much the same manner, with extended and 

 broadside and triangular lines and clusters similar to those of Ducks 

 and Geese at such times. They usually fly low after landing, sweeping 

 slowly over the ground, apparently looking it over, generally standing 

 motionless for quite a while after alighting, which, owing to their 

 general color approximating so closely to the withered grass, renders 

 it difficult at times to perceive them. . . . The only note I ever heard 

 them make is a kind of squeak, very much like one of the cries of 

 Wilson's Tern {Sterna hirundo), only finer in tone." 



The Whimbrel {267. Numenius pJiceopus), an Old-World species, is of 

 accidental occurrence in Greenland. 



Family Charadriid^. Plovers. 



The one hundred species contained in this family are, as a whole, of 

 less boreal distribution than the Snipes, and during the nesting season 

 are distributed throughout the world. Only eight species are found 

 in North America. Their habits in a general way resemble those of 

 the true Snipes, but their much shorter, stouter bills are not fitted for 

 probing, and they obtain their food from the surface. Probably for 

 this reason several species are as frequently found on the uplands as 

 near the shores. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES, 



I. Toes three. 



A. Back spotted or streaked with black and white, rufous, or golden yellow, 



272. Am, Golden Ploveb. 



B. Back ashy, gray, brown, or brownish gray. 



a. Rump rufous 273. Killdeer. 



b. Rump not rufous. 



* The Auk, vol. ix, 1892, pp. 16-21, 



