PLOVERS. 173 



272. Charadrius domlnicn* Mull. AMERICA* GOLDEM PLOVER; 

 GREEXBACE. Ad, in ntmm*r. I'ppvr parts black, spotted and margined 

 with golden yellow ; tail brownish gray, indistinctly barred with whitUh ; 

 aides of th breast white ; rat of the under parts, including aides of the head, 

 black; under wing-coverts ashy. Winter plumagt. Upper parts and tail 

 fuscous, spotted or barred with whitish or yellow ; under parts whitish, more 

 or lean streaked or barred with brownish gray. L., 10-50; W., 7*00; Tar., 

 1-60; B., -90. 



Btmarkt. Immature birds are norm-linn* confused with those of the Black- 

 bellied Plover, but, aside from differences of size and color, the absence of the 

 fourth toe in the present species will alway* 'li.-tiiiirui.ih it 



Kanyt. Breeds in the arctic regions ; winter* from Florida to Patagonia. 



Washington, rare and irregular T. V. Long Island, T. V., very rare in 

 May ; common from Aug. 15 to Nov. 10. 



Kyiji, three to four, ochraccouB-buff or huffy white, heavily marked with 

 chocolate, 1-85 x 1-28. 



Golden Plovers frequent marshes, sandy hills, old fields, sand-flats' 

 exposed by the falling tide, plowed fields, and burned tracts which are 

 free of trees and bushes. When on the ground they run rapidly and 

 gracefully, and after alighting soon scatter. All their movements are 

 quick, and after running a few yards they suddenly stop, hold their 

 head erect, and look about them. In feeding they seem to strike at 

 an object with a motion that reminds one of a Loon or Grebe begin- 

 ning to dive. 



When a flock is approaching decoys, every bird seems to be whis- 

 tling, uttering a note like coodle, coodle, coodle. Unlike the Black- 

 bellied Plover, the young birds are wary and more difficult to decoy 

 than the old ones. When driven from a favorite resting or feeding 

 ground they generally return in a short time. (Abridged from Mr. 

 George II. Mackay's account of the habits of this species in The Auk, 

 viii, 1891, pp. 17-24.) 



The ErROFEA!* GOLDEN PLOVER (S71. CharaJriut apricariut) occurs in 

 eastern Greenland. It resembles our specie*, but has the under wing-coverts 

 white instead of gray. 



273. **.g-Ht vocifera /./'./... KILLOEER. Ad. Forehead, a 

 spot behind the >.. thnmt, ami a ring around the neck, a band on the breast, 

 lower breast, and belly white ; front of the crown, lores, a ring around the 

 neck, and a band on the breast black ; crown and back grayiiih brown tij-jH-.l 

 with rufous; rump and upper tail-covert* niton*; inner tail-tVatln-rs grayish 

 brown, outer ones becoming rufous and white, all tipped with black and white. 

 1^ 10-50; W., -50; Tar., 1-85; B.. 



Kang*. North America north to Newfoundland and Manitoba, breeding 

 throughout its range; winters from the lower Misniwtippi Valley and Vir- 

 ginia to northern South America. 



