CIMRADRIUS RUB ID US.* 



RUDDY PLOVER. 

 [Plate LXIIL Fig. 3.] 



Arci. Zool. JVo. 404. LATH. Syn. v. 3, p. 195, JVo. 2. TURT. 

 Syst.p. 415. 



THIS bird is frequently found in company with the Sander- 

 ling, which, except in colour, it very much resembles. It is 

 generally seen on the seacoast of New Jersey in May and Oc- 

 tober, on its way to and from its breeding place in the north. 

 It runs with great activity along the edge of the flowing or re- 

 treating waves, on the sands, picking up the small bivalve shell- 

 fish, which supply so many multitudes of the Plover and Sand- 

 piper tribes. 



I should not be surprised if the present species turn out here- 

 after to be the Sanderling itself, in a different dress. Of many 

 scores which I examined, scarce two were alike; in some the 

 plumage of the back was almost plain; in others the black plu- 

 mage was just shooting out. This was in the month of October. 

 Naturalists, however, have considered it as a separate species; 

 but have given us no further particulars, than that "in Hudson's 

 Bay it is known by the name of Mistchaychekiskaweshish"t a 

 piece of information certainly very instructive ! 



The Ruddy Plover is eight inches long, and fifteen in extent; 

 the bill is black, an inch long, and straight; sides of the neck, 

 and whole upper parts, speckled largely with white, black and 

 ferruginous; the feathers being centred with black, tipt with 

 white, and edged with ferruginous, giving the bird a very mot- 



* This is the preceding 1 species in perfect summer plumage, 

 t Latham. 



