250 AVES: LIMICOLJS. xxxvm. 



785. .2E. wilsonia (Ord). WILSON'S PLOVER. Brownish gray; 

 forehead and lower parts white, a black band on breast and one on 

 front of crown ; 9 duller and rusty. L. 7}. W. 4J. B. |> Trop- 

 ical shores, N. to N. Y. (To Alex. Wilson.) 



bb. Bill shorter than middle toe without claw, 

 c. All toes distinctly webbed at base. 



786. 2B. semipalmata Bonaparte. RING -NECK PLOVER. 

 Dark grayish brown; black bands broad. L. 7. W. 5. B. J. 

 N. Am. 



cc. Inner toe not webbed at base. 



787. 2B. meloda (Ord). PIPING PLOVER. Very pale ashy 

 brown, clear white below; dark bands narrow and faint; toes 

 slightly webbed. L. 6f . W. 4f B. J. E. N. Am., along the 

 coast ; represented in Miss. Valley by var. circumciacta Ridgway, 

 with the black patches on sides of breast coalescent. 



FAMILY CXLVII. APHRIZIDuSJ. (THE SURF-BIRDS.) 



Toes 4, not webbed, the hinder short, well-developed; tarsus 

 scutellate in front ; legs rather long ; wings long and pointed ; tail 

 short ; bill rather short. Two genera, each with a species, found 

 on most northern shores, (dope's, surf ; ao>, I live.) 

 a. Bill as long as tarsus, hard, sharp-pointed ; tail rounded. AKENARIA, 402. 



402. ARENARIA Brisson. (Lat., relating to sand.) 



788. A. interpres (L.). TURNSTONE. Variegated; black, 

 white, and chestnut above, mostly white below ; young without red- 

 dish; feet orange; throat white. L. 8J. W. 6. T. 2J. B. f 

 Northern regions, generally common. (Eu.} (Lat., a go-between.) 



FAMILY CXLVIII. H^3MATOPODIDu3i3. (THE 

 OYSTER-CATCHERS.) 



Toes 3, webbed at base ; tarsus reticulate ; legs stout, coarse and 

 rough ; wings long and pointed ; tail short. Bill hard, long, con- 

 stricted near base, much compressed, truncate at tip, nearly straight, 

 adapted for opening shells ; nasal groove short ; nostril linear. Size 

 large ; sexes similar. One genus, with 6 or 7 species ; shore-birds 

 found in most countries. 



403. HJEMATOPUS LinnaBus. (alpa, blood ; TTOVS, foot.) 



789. H. palliatus Temminck. OYSTER-CATCHER. Back dark 

 slate ; head and neck black ; bill and legs red ; tail coverts white. 

 L. 18. W. 10. T. 4. B. 3. American coasts. (Lat., wearing 

 a cloak.) 



