252 VERTEBRATES: BIRDS. 



longer than the head, slender and contracted at the base, 

 and whose young run about and pick up food as soon 

 as hatched. Instead of building their nests upon trees or 

 bushes, as in the case of the Herodiones, the members 

 of this group, with some exceptions, lay their eggs in a 

 cavity scooped out in the sand. 



The Grallae comprise the Charadridae or Plover Family, 

 Haematopodidae or Turnstone Family, Recurvirostridae 

 or Avoset Family, Phalaropidae or Phalarope Family, 

 Scolopacidae or Snipe Family, and Rallidae or Rail Fam- 

 ily. 



CHARADRID.E, OR PLOVER FAMILY. This Family com- 

 prises waders which have the bill rather cylindrical, as 

 long as the head or shorter, culmen much indented op- 

 posite the nostrils, hind toe rarely present and when 

 present only rudimentary, and the outer and middle toes 

 more or less united by a membrane. The wings, when 

 folded back, reach beyond the tail ; the head very large, 

 and the neck short and thick. 



Fig. 132. The Genus Charadrius is 



represented by the Golden 

 Plover, C. virginicus, Borck., 

 of both hemispheres, which 

 is nine and a half inches long, 

 the wing seven inches ; the 

 upper parts brownish black, 

 with numerous spots of gold- 

 en yellow ; under parts black, 

 with a brownish lustre. 



Golden Plover, C. virginicus, Borck. The QenUS jEgiatitis has 



the plumage without spots, the neck and head generally 

 with dark bands. 



The Kill-deer, A. vociferus, Cass., of North and South 

 America, is nine and a half inches long, and the wing six 

 and a half inches ; the head above and the upper parts of 



