SHORE BIRIJS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



75 



SUBGENUS AEGIALITIS Bom. 



/EQIALITIS SEniPALHATA Bonap. 



Semipalmated Plover. Ring=neck. 



Adult in summer : Forehead, white, succeeded by a band of 

 black ; rest of head, back, and wings, ashy gray ; a dull stripe 

 of blackish passing from the bill under the eye to the sides of 

 the neck ; a small patch of white back of the eye ; a broad band 

 of black on the breast; rest of under parts, white; throat, 

 white, extending around the neck and joining at the back in a 

 very narrow stripe ; secondaries, tipped with white ; bill black, 

 orange at the base; a bright orange ring around the eye; toes 

 webbed at base. 



Adult in winter: Similar, but the black marking replaced 

 by brownish or gray. 



Length, fi.XO; wing, 4.75; tarsus, .J)3; bill, .50. 



^sgiaiititf twiiiipainiiitti. Ranges from the arctic regions to South America, 



breeding from Labrador northward. It is a common species on our coast 

 during the migrations. The eggs are usually four, pale brownish white, 

 spotted with chocolate brown. 



The Little Ring Plover, ^Egialitis dubia, an Asiatic species, is of accidental 

 occurrence on the coast of California. 



/EQIALITIS flELODA (Ord.}. 

 Piping Plover. 



Adult in summer: Upper parts, ashy; forehead, 

 white, separated from the ash color of the head by a 

 narrow patch of black ; a band on the side of the breast, 

 black; under parts and a ring around the neck, white. 



Adult in winter : Similar to the summer plumage, but 

 the black marking replaced by grayish buff, or ashy gray, 

 instead of black; bill, orange at base, tipped with black. 



Length, 7.20; wing, 4.80; tarsus, .90; bill, .50. 



Ranges from Labrador to the West Indies 

 and South America. It is a common species 

 on the New England coast during the migra- 

 tions, and is a regular winter visitant to Florida, although not abundant. 

 The Piping Plover breeds from Virginia to Labrador and Newfoundland. 

 The eggs are usually four, dull white, marked with dark brown. 





