176 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



mottled with black, this forming a distinct marbling on crown 

 and occiput, where the ground-color is lighter and clearer buff; 

 lower parts immaculate pale buff. Length 8.00-9.10, wing 

 6.00, culmen .80-.90, tarsus 1.50-1.60, middle toe .70. Eggs 1.47 

 X 1.11, varying from light olive to deep cream-color, rather 

 sparsely and irregularly speckled and lined with dark brown, 

 black, and purplish gray. Hob. Western North America, east 

 to the Great Plains ; accidental in Florida. 



281. IE,, montana (TOWNS.). Mountain Plover. 



c 2 . Tarsus less than twice as long as bill, measured from anterior point of 

 loral feathering ; chest with a black, grayish, or rusty band, some- 

 times interrupted in the middle portion. (Subgenus JEgialitis 

 BOIE.) 

 d l . Nape crossed by a more or less distinct white collar. 



e 1 . Bill decidedly shorter than middle toe, very stout (except in 

 JE. dubia), its basal half light-colored (orange or yellow in 

 life), except in JE. dubia. 

 f 1 . A distinct web between base of inner and middle toes. 



Above grayish brown ; forehead, ring round hind- 

 neck, and lower parts white. Summer adult: 

 Lores, fore-part of crown, and broad band across 

 chest black (usually duller in female). Winter 

 plumage : Similar to summer dress, but black 

 markings replaced by grayish brown. Young: 

 Similar to winter plumage, but feathers of upper 

 parts margined terminally with light buff. Downy 

 young: Above pale grayish brown, mottled with 

 black ; frontal crescent, collar round hind-neck, 

 and entire lower parts white. Length 6.50-7.50, 

 wing 4.65-5.00, culmen .48-.5S, tarsus .95-1.05. 

 Eggs 1.26 X -94, pale dull buffy or olive-buff, 

 speckled or irregularly spotted, chiefly on or 

 around larger end, with dark brown or black. 

 Hob. Whole of North America, breeding far north- 

 ward ; south, in winter, throughout West Indies, 

 Middle America, and northern South America, to 

 Brazil, Peru, and Galapagos... 274. JE. semipal- 

 mata BONAP. Semipalmated Plover. 

 / 2 . No web between base of inner and middle toes. 



g l . Upper parts deep grayish brown, as in ^E. semipal- 



mata. 



h l . Bill stout, the basal half light-colored (yellow or 

 orange in life) ; no whitish bar behind black 

 patch on fore-part of crown. (Plumage very 

 similar, at all stages, to that of JE. semipal- 



