426 CHARADRIID.E. 



side ; below the eye a black patch, which curving forward and 

 upward, goes to the base of the lower mandible, encircling a 

 white spot at the base of the upper mandible ; top of the 

 head, the occiput, and back of the neck, white, streaked with 

 black ; sides of the neck and the scapulars rich black ; in- 

 terscapulars, and smaller wing-coverts, dark red ; greater wing- 

 coverts black edged with red ; wing-primaries greyish black, 

 with pure white shafts ; tertials nearly black, tipped and 

 spotted with red ; the back white ; rump with a transverse 

 band of black ; upper tail-coverts and the base of the tail- 

 feathers white ; the other part greyish black ; all, except the 

 two middle ones, tipped with white ; chin white ; sides of the 

 neck, the throat, and upper part of the breast, rich black ; 

 lower part of the breast, belly, vent, under tail-coverts, under 

 surface of the wing, and the axillary plume, pure white ; 

 legs and toes rich orange red, approaching vermilion red ; 

 claws black ; the hind toe articulated on the inner surface 

 of the tarsus, and directed inwards towards the other leg, not 

 backwards as in most other birds. 



The whole length of the bird nine inches and a half. 

 From the carpal joint to the end of the wing six inches ; the 

 first quill feather a little longer than the second, and the 

 longest in the Aving. 



The sexes do not differ much in plumage ; but in winter 

 the black, white, and ferruginous portions of the plumage are 

 not so rich in colour. 



In young birds of the year the whole of the plumage of the 

 upper surface of the body, and round the throat in front, is 

 dull brownish black ; the feathers of the body edged with 

 yellowish M'hite ; those of the wing-coverts and tertials edged 

 with reddish buff-colour ; the chin, breast, belly, and under 

 tail-coverts, white ; the legs and toes pale orange, almost 

 flesh colour. 



