290 



KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 



NUHENIUS BOREALIS {Forst.). 

 Eskimo Curlew. Dough Bird. 



Adult in sHinincr: Bill curved down- 

 ward, general plumage above mottled black 

 and tawny ; chin whitish ; throat and under 

 parts tawny buff, marked on the throat with 

 dark brown and on the breast with arrow-like brown mark- 

 ings ; flanks and sides of the body tawny, the arrow-like 

 marks being much heavier and larger ; top of the head show- 

 ing no central stripe of l)uffy white. 



Adult hi winter : Lacking the tawny color of the summer 

 plumage; more whitish on the under parts, otherwise the 

 markings being similar. 



Length, 13; Wing, S.io: Tarsus, 2 : Bill, 2.75 to 3.50. 



It rano-es from the Arctic re<yions, where it 

 breeds, southward to South America. At one 

 time it was a very abundant bird on oiu- coast 

 during the migrations, but is becoming less com- 

 mon every vear. It prefers the fields to the beaches, being often found in 

 compan}' with the Golden Plover. It is comparatively rare in Florida, but 

 occurs regularlv during migrations. The eggs are pale olive gray spotted 

 with dark brown, mostlv at the larger end. 



Family CMARADRIID.E. Plovers. 

 Genus CHARADRIUS Linn. 



Subgenus SQUATAROLA Cuv. 



CHARADRIUS SQUATAROLA (Z/V/;/.). 

 Black=bellied Plover. Beetle Head. 



Adult malt' in snnuncr : Upper parts smoky l)lack; feathers edged with dull white; l)reast 

 black except in higliest plumage, showing traces of wliitish on the featliers ; abdomen and under 

 tail coverts white ; forehead white ; axiliars smoky black. 



Adult in winter : Upper plumage brownish mottled with gray; under parts wliite ; breast 

 and sides streaked with ashy brown ; bill black. 



Length, 11.25; ^Ving, 7.45 ; Tarsus, 1.85; Bill, i.io. 



