158 



KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA, 



NUHENIUS BOREALIS {Forsi.). 

 Eskimo Curlew. Dough Bird. 



Adult in siiiniiic)-: \\\\\ curved down- 

 ward, general plumage aljove mottled black 

 and tawny ; chin whitish ; throat and under 

 parts tawny buff, marked on tlie throat with 

 dark brown and on the breast with arrow-like brown mark- 

 ings ; flanks and sides of the body tawny, the arrow-like 

 marks being much heavier and larger ; top of the head show- 

 ing no central stripe of buffy wliite. 



Adult ill winter : Lacking tlie tawny color of the summer 

 plumage ; more whitish on the under parts, otherwise the 

 markings being similar. 



Length, 13; Wing, 8.10; Tarsus, 2 ; Bill, 2.75 to 3.50. 



It ranges from the Arctic regions, where it 

 breeds, southward to South America. x\t one 

 time it was a very abundant bird on our coast 

 during the migrations, but is becoming less com- 

 mon every year. It prefers the fields to the beaches, being often found in 

 company with the Golden Plover. It is comparativel}^ rare in Florida, but 

 occin-s regularly dm-ing migrations. The eggs are pale olive gray spotted 

 with dark lirown, mostlv at the larger end. 



Family CIIARADRIID.E. Plovers. 



Genus CHARADRIUS Linn. 

 Subgenus SQUATAROLA Cuv. 



CHARADRIUS SQUATAROLA {IJm,.). 

 Black=bel!ied Plover. Beetle Head. 



Adult male in siinuiter : Upper parts smoky black; feathers edged with dull white ; l)reast 

 black except in higliest plumage, showing traces of whitish on the feathers ; abdomen and under 

 tail coverts white ; forehead white ; axillars smoky black. 



Adult in winter : Upper plumage brownish mottled with gray; under parts white ; breast 

 and sides streaked with ashy brown ; bill black. 



Length, 11.25; Wing, 7.45 ; Tarsus, 1.85; Bill, i.io. 



