Widmann — A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 77 



breeding throughout its range, wintering from Cahfornia and 

 the Gulf States southward to northern South America. 



In Missouri it may still be called a common transient visitant 

 spring and fall, though it is by no means as abundant as formerly, 

 when it was also well known as a summer resident, not only in the 

 prairie region of the north and west, but also in the Ozark border 

 region and even in the valleys of the Ozarks themselves. A 

 few may still breed in the state, as it is reported to do so at Apple- 

 ton City by Mr. C. W. Prier, 1906. Killdeers are among the 

 first migrants to return to us in earliest spring. The first reach 

 Missouri during the latter part of February (February 17, 1898, 

 St. Louis; February 18, 1902, Jasper Co.; February 26, 1904, 

 St. Charles Co.; February 28, 1904, Independence; February 

 28, 1893, Keokuk). The bulk of transients is with us from the 

 middle of March to the middle of April, and in fall from September 

 1 to the middle of November. Exceptionally late dates are 

 November 17, 1896, Keokuk; November 2(), 1905, Jasper Co. 

 (Philo. Smith) ; and December 18, 1887, St. Louis. 



274. Aegialitis semipalmata Bonap. Semipalmated Plover. 



Tringa hiaticula Wils. Charadrius hiaticula Ord. Charadrius semipalmatus. 

 Semipalmated Ring Plover. Ring Plover. Ring- neck. 



Geog. Dist. — Arctic and subarctic America from Ungava 

 Bay to Norton Sound, rarely south to Ontario and Manitoba. 

 Migrates through LInited States and winters from Louisiana and 

 Texas to Brazil, Peru and Galapagos Islands. 



In Missouri a fairly common transient visitant from April 20 

 to May 20, and in fall from August 20 to September 25 in scat- 

 tered flocks on the mud-flats of our larger rivers together with 

 other plovers and sandpipers. 



277a. Aegialitis meloda circumcincta Ridgw. Belted 

 Piping Plover. 



Lately and apparently unnecessarily separated from Aegialitis meloda, 

 the Piping Plover of the Atlantic States, Charadrius hiaticula var. Wils., 

 Charadrius melodus of Ord., Aud. etc. 



Geog. Dist. — Mississippi Valley, Manitoba and Assiniboia, 

 west to Wyoming. Breeding formerly from Illinois, Indiana and 

 southern Wisconsin northward, now from northern Nebraska. 

 Also found on the Magdalen and Sable Islands, Winters from 

 the Gulf coast southward. 



