PLOVERS. 1 7 1 



whitish ; upper Uil-ooverta barred with huffy and black ; tail hrownbh arty, 

 edged with huffy and barred with hlark ; primaries fuacoiu tcitkont bun ; 

 uti I.T |rU huffy or whiiih. Uie hreat ntrrnkr<l. the aide* and under wing- 

 covcrU harm! with bla<-k 1. ., 1 :-M ; W., 8-40 ; Tar., K5 ; B., 8-40. 



Kanyt. Breed* in the arctic region* and migrate* southward, chiefly 

 through the intrrior. to Patagonia. 



Long bland, rare T. V 



Eyy*< three to four, pale olive-groeni*h, olive, or olive-brownUh, dis- 

 tinctly spotted, chiefly on the larger end, with deep or dark brown, 'J-<>4 x 1*43 

 (BUffw.). 



This Curlew U far more common in the interior than on the At- 

 lantic coast. It is more of a field bird than cither of the two pre- 

 ceding species, and frequents the dry uplands to feed on seeds and 

 insects. Mr. G. II. Mackay, in his biography of this s)iecies,* writes: 

 "Most of their habits closely resemble those of the Golden Plover. 

 In migration they fly in much the same manner, with extended and 

 broadside and triangular lines and clusters similar to those of Ducks 

 and Geese at such times. They usually fly low after landing, sweeping 

 slowly over the ground, apparently looking it over, generally standing 

 motionless for quite a while after alighting, which, owing to th.-ir 

 general color approximating so closely to the withered grass, renders 

 it difficult at times to perceive them. . . . The only note I ever heard 

 them make is a kind of squeak, very much like one of the cries of 

 Wilson's Tern (Sterna hirundo), only finer in tone." 



The WHIMBRKL (Sff7. Xumeniut pkaoput), an Old- World upccicw, is of 

 oddental occurrence in Greenland. 



FAMILY CHARADRIIDJE. PLovraa 



The one hundred species contained in this family are, as a whole, of 

 less boreal distribution than the Snipes, and during the nesting season 

 are distributed throughout the world. Only eight 8{>ecies are found 

 in North America. Their habits in a general way resemble those of 

 the true Snipes, but their much shorter, stouter bills are not fittnl fi.r 

 probing, and they obtain their food from the surface. Probably for 

 this reason several species are as frequently found on the uplands as 

 near the shores. 



KIT TO Till SPECIES. 



I. T<>ea three. 



A. Back Bpotted or Mrcakcd with black and white, rufmi-s or golden yellow. 



978. An. GOLDKH I'LOVEB. 



B. Back ashy, jrray, brown, or hrownimh gray. 



a. Kump rufous 273. KILLDKSB. 



b. Rump not rufoua. 



The Auk. vol. Iz. 1H. pp. !-. 



