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CHARADRIUS MELODIUS— ORD. 



PIPING PLOVER. 



Ring Plover, Charadrins Hiaticula, Wils. Amer. Om. 



Charailrius melodius, Ord. 



Piping Ring Plover, Nult. Man. 



Piping Plover, Charaunus melodius, 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 di- 

 rectly above ; upper part of the head, hind neck, back, scapulars, 

 and wing coverts pale brown ; rump white, the central fea- 

 thers tinged with brown ; tail brown, white at base, tipped 

 with the same ; lateral feathers pure white — 'he 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. Fe- 

 male 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 common. 

 On the north shore of the bay I 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, and are left during fair weather ex- 

 posed to the sun — the female seldom sitting on them except in stormy 

 weather or at night. 

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