BIRDS OF KANSAS. 200 



Wilson reports finding the birds breeding in Pennsylvania, 

 and Audubon in the mountainous parts of Maryland, Pennsyl- 

 vania and Connecticut. From the description given of their 

 nests and eggs and their habits, they are thought by some writ- 

 ers to have been mistaken in the identification of the same, but 

 they certainly could not have been in the birds which they sup- 

 posed laid the eggs; and they have since, in a few cases, been 

 known to summer within the United States. Their natural 

 breeding grounds, however, are within the Arctic regions. In 

 the early settlement of the country, many birds were found 

 breeding south to the Gulf coast that are now only known to 

 breed far north. 



Their nests are mere depressions in the ground, sparingly 

 lined with old grasses. Eggs usually four, 2.04x1.43; ground 

 color brownish drab to buffy olive, blotched and speckled with 

 dark brown to a deep black color; in shape, pyriform. 



SUBGENUS CHARADRIUS LINNAEUS. 

 "No hind toe; axillars white or grayish." 



Charadrius dominicus MULL. 



AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. 

 PLATE XII. 



Migratory; abundant. Arrive the last of March to first of 

 May; return the last of July to first of October. 



B. 503. R. 515. C. 581. G. 236, 98. U. 272. 



HABITAT. Nearly the whole of America; breeding in the 

 Arctic regions; south in winter to Patagonia. 



SP. CHAR. "Bill rather short, legs moderate, wings long, no hind toe, tarsus 

 covered before and behind with small circular or hexagonal scales. Summer 

 plumage: Upper parts brownish black, with numerous small circular and irreg- 

 ular spots of golden yellow, most numerous on the back and rump and on the 

 upper tail coverts, assuming the form of transverse bands generally; also with 

 some spots of ashy white. Entire under parts black, with a brownish or bronzed 

 luster; under tail coverts mixed or barred with white. Forehead, border of the 

 back of the neck, under tail coverts and tibia white; axillary feathers cinere- 

 ous; quills dark brown; middle portion of the shafts white, frequently extend- 

 ing slightly to the webs, and forming longitudinal stripes on the shorter quills; 

 tail dark brown, with numerous irregular bands of ashy white, and frequently 

 tinged with golden yellow; bill black; legs dark bluish brown. Winter plumage 

 (young and adult}: Under parts dull ashy, spotted with brownish on the neck 



14 



