190 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



to study it in the face of the frantic cries, expostulations, swoop- 

 ings and crippled struggles of the old bird at your very feet until 

 finally you are forced in sheer desperation to liberate the young 

 bird and seek a quieter spot before the notes are half done. 



Genus ^GIALITIS Boie. 



274. ^gialitis semipalmata Bonap. Semipalmated Plover; 

 Ring-neck. 



Plumage of summer adults: lores, fore part of crown, broad chest band 

 (usually encircling the back also) and sides of head black ; throat, ring 

 around neck, breast and belly white ; back of head, the back and inner tail 

 feathers brownish gray, grading to white on outer tail feathers. Plumage 

 of winter adults : differs chiefly in having the black parts described above 

 replaced with brownish gray. Immature plumage: like winter plumage 

 except that feathers of back are margined with light buff at ends. Toes 

 always webbed at base. Wing 4.50 to 5.00 ; culmen 0.50 ; tarsus 0.95. 



Geog. Dist. — America ; breeding from Labrador to Arctic regions ; in migra- 

 tion passing southward through the states ; winters from the Gulf States 

 to Brazil, Peru and the Galapagos Islands. 



County Records — Androscoggin ; fairly common migrant, (Johnson). 

 Cumberland; common, (Brock). Hancock; common in spring and fall 

 migrations, I saw a flock of four at Saddleback Ledge, June 22, 1896, 

 (Knight). Kennebec; (Dill). Knox; summer, (Rackliff). Oxford; occurs 

 at Lake Umbagog, (Brewster, B. N. 0. C. 5, p. 60). Penobscot; occasional 

 in fall on the edging beds at Stillwater, (Knight). Sagadahoc; common in 

 August, (Spinney). Somerset; one shot August 10, 1894, (Morrell). Waldo; 

 common in migrations, (Knight). Washington ; common in summer, 

 (Boardman). 



As a migrant the species is common and general along the 

 coast, the first arrivals appearing in late July and many remain- 

 ing until early September, while in spring it is less common in 

 May and occasionally seen until even June 22. Though seen 

 practically every month from May to September the species 

 does not breed with us, those seen in late June being probably 

 belated migrants, and those arriving in late July being equally 

 prompt returning birds. 



Inland the species occurs rather local and scattering in 

 August. They like to frequent sandy shores, mud flats and 



