LITTLE RINGED PLOVER. 505 



In the adult bird, the beak is black ; the irides brown ; 

 the forehead white, with a black patch above it extending 

 to the eye on each side ; top of the head and the occiput 

 ash brown ; lore and ear-coverts black ; nape of the neck 

 white; back, scapulars, wing-coverts, tertials, rump, and 

 upper tail-coverts, ash brown; primary and secondary 

 wing-feathers dusky brown ; these and the greater wing- 

 coverts edged with white ; the first primary quill-feather 

 only with a broad white shaft ; tail-feathers ash brown at 

 the base, darker towards the end; the five outer tail- 

 feathers on each side white at the end, this colour increas- 

 ing in extent on each lateral feather, the outer one on each 

 side having only a dusky spot on the inner web, but this 

 appears to be constant at all ages : chin and throat white, 

 this colour extending from the latter round the nape of the 

 neck ; below this and above the breast is a collar of black ; 

 the breast itself, the belly, vent, and under tail-coverts, 

 pure white ; legs and toes flesh colour tinged with yellow ; 

 the claws black. 



Adult specimens generally measure six inches and one 

 quarter. From the carpal joint to the end of the wing, 

 four inches and three-eighths ; the first quill-feather but 

 very little longer than the second, and the longest in the 

 wing. 



Adult females have the white and black frontal bands 

 narrower than the males, according to M. Temminck, and 

 they are also less perfectly defined. 



Young birds of the year want all the decided black 

 markings which distinguish old birds, and the ash-brown 

 feathers of the back and wing-coverts have buff-coloured 

 margins. 



