of the United States. 295 



42. CHARADPJUS. 



Charadrius, Tringa, L. Gm. Lath. 111. Cuv. Pluvialis, 

 VaneJIus, Briss. Charadrius, Vanellus, Temm. Vieill. Ranz. 



Bill shorter than the head, rather slender, straight, cylin- 

 drical, depressed at base, obtuse, and somewhat turgid at tip; 

 upper mandible longitudinally furrowed on two-thirds of its 

 length ; lower shorter : nostrils lateral, concave, linear, half 

 covered by a prominent membrane : tongue lanceolate, entire, 

 somewhat cylindrical at tip. Head and eyes large : front 

 prominent. Fket 3, or 4-toed, with the hind toe exceedingly 

 small, and elevated from the ground : naked part of the tibia 

 moderate : tarsus clypeate-scutellate ; toes scutellate, mar- 

 gined by a narrow membrane ; outer toes connected at base 

 by a small membrane : nails compressed, curved, acute. 

 Wings elongated, subacute, tuberculated ; first primary long- 

 est Tail more or less rounded, of twelve feathers. 



Female similar to the male in most species. Young dif- 

 fer somewhat from the adult. Moult generally twice in the 

 year, changing somewhat in color. Some foreign species dis- 

 tinguished by spurred wings, and fleshy appendages on the 

 head or bill. 



Gregarious : keep in meadows, or on the sea shore. Stir- 

 ring the soil with their feet, to put in motion worms and 

 aquatic insects, their exclusive food. Lay in the sand about 

 four large eggs. 



Inhabit throughout the world ; traversing temperate coun- 

 tries in the spring and autumn. 



SUBGENUS I. CHARADRIUS. 



Charadrius, L. Gm. Lath. 111. Cuv. Temm. Vieill. Ranz. 

 Pluvialis, Briss. 



Feet three toed ; no rudiment of h'i>d oe. 



+ All the toes connected at base by a membrane. 



