230 GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. PLOVER. 



Young The young of the year differ from the adults in having the 

 feathers of the upper parts of the body spotted with 

 yellow and yellowish- white, sometimes approaching very 

 nearly in colour to Charadrius Pluvialis. 



GENUS CHARADRIUS, LIN. PLOVER. 



GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill strait, compressed, shorter than the head ; the anterior 

 portion of each mandible horny and hard ; that of the upper 

 one slightly arched, and rounded underneath ; of the under 

 one gently ascending. Lateral furrow extending to two- 

 thirds of the length of the bill. 



Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, longitudinally cleft in the 

 large membrane of the nasal furrow. 



Wings of mean length, narrow, acuminate, with the first 

 quill-feather the longest. 



Legs rather long, or of mean length, slender, naked above 

 the tarsal joint. Tarsi reticulated. Feet three-toed ; all the 

 toes directed forwards, rather short ; the outer toe united to 

 the middle one by a short membrane. 



Tail in gradations, from nearly a square end in some 

 species, to a very wedge-shaped form in others. 



Plumage thick, close, and adpressed. 



The members of this genus (which may be considered the 

 typical form of the Charadriadce) are numerous, and pos- 

 sess a very wide geographical distribution, species being 

 found in every quarter of the globe. Some of them, during 

 the greater part of the year, are the inhabitants of open dis- 

 tricts, and of wild wastes, frequenting both dry and moist 

 situations, and only retire towards the coast during the seve- 

 rity of winter. Others are constantly resident upon the 

 banks or about the mouths of rivers, particularly where the 



