39 



No. 4, Piping Plover — Charadrius Melodius. — Vulgo, Beach 

 Bird. 



Ring Plover, Charadrius hiaticula, Wils. Amer. Orii. Charadrius melodius, 

 Ord. Piping Ring Plover, Nutt. Mann. Piping Plover, Charadrius melo- 

 dius, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



" Specific Character. — Bill shorter than the head ; at base 

 orange color, toward the end black ; fore-neck and cheeks pure 

 white ; bordered above with black ; rest part of the head very 

 pale brown. Adult male with the bill short, orange at the 

 base, anterior to the nostrils black ; forehead white, with a band 

 of black crossing directly above ; upper part of the head, hind- 

 neck, back, scapulars, and wing coverts pale-brown ; rump 

 white, the central feathers tinged with brown; tail brown, white 

 at base, tipped with the same ; lateral feathers pure white — the 

 next with a spot of blackish-brown near the end ; upper tail 

 coverts white ; primaries brown ; a large portion of the inner 

 webs white ; a spot of the same on the outer webs of the inner 

 quills ; secondaries white, with a large spot of brown toward 

 the ends ; lower surface of the wings white ; a black band 

 round the lower part of the neck, broadest on the sides where 

 it terminates ; entire lower plumage white. Female similar, 

 with the band on the neck brown. Length seven inches, wing 

 four and a half. 



" To the south shore of Long Island the Piping Plover is com- 

 mon. On the north side of the bay 1 have seldom seen it. It 

 seems to prefer the sandy beaches and shoals, where it collects 

 small bivalve shells which lie exposed at low water. I have 

 also observed it along the surf, feeding on the deposite of the 

 receding wave. It breeds here, making no nest, other than a 

 slight excavation in the sand ; the eggs, four in number, are of 

 a pale-yellowish or cream-color, speckled with brownish-black. 



" When pursued, it runs rapidly ; if closely followed, it takes 

 wing, uttering a mellow note — though at such times its voice is 

 more shrill than the soft tones it makes when not disturbed. In 



