214 HISTORY OF THE 



B. 507. R. 517. C. 586. G. 238, 100. U. 274. 



HABITAT. The whole of North America; breeding chiefly 

 within the Arctic regions; winters from California and the Gnlf 

 coast, south to Brazil and Peru. 



SP. CHAR. " Small; wings long; toes connected at base, especially the outer 

 to the middle toe. Front, throat, ring around the neck and entire under parts 

 white; a band of deep black across the breast, extending around the back of the 

 neck below the white ring. Band from the base of the bill, and under the eye, 

 and wide frontal baud above the white band, black. Upper parts ashy brown; 

 quills brownish black, with their shafts white in a middle portion, and occasion- 

 ally a lanceolate white spot along the shafts of the shorter primaries; shorter 

 tertiaries edged with white; greater coverts tipped with white. Middle feathers 

 of the tail ashy brown, with a wide subterminal band of brownish black, and 

 narrowly tipped with white; two outer tail feathers white, others intermediate, 

 like the middle, but widely tipped with white. Bill orange yellow at base, 

 black terminally; legs pale flesh color. Female: Similar, but rather lighter col- 

 ored. Young: With the black replaced by ashy brown, the feathers of the upper 

 parts bordered with paler. Downy young: Above, pale grayish brown, mottled 

 with black; a frontal crescent, broad nuchal collar and entire lower parts white." 



Stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 7.10 15.20 4.75 2.30 .95 .52 



Female... 7.00 15.00 4.70 2.20 .95 .50 



This species is quite common in suitable localities throughout 

 the continent; breeding north into Greenland. They are often 

 met with upon low, marshy grounds, but seem to prefer the 

 sandy shores and barren lands, where they run about in a swift 

 but uncertain manner, suddenly stopping to pick up an insect or 

 any minute form of life that exists upon their feeding grounds; 

 and though gregarious, move about in a silent, unsocial manner, 

 regardless of each other; but the moment they are startled, 

 spring into the air with a whistling, warning note, quickly bunch 

 together, and sweep swiftly away, scattering, without stopping 

 to look, the moment they alight, as if forgetful of the scare, and 

 heedless of danger. 



Their nests are mere cavities in the ground, lined occasionally 

 with a few withered leaves or grasses. Eggs usually four, 

 1.26x. 94; pale dull buff to olive buff, irregularly speckled and 

 spotted, chiefly about the larger end, with dark brown or black; 

 in shape, rather pyriform. 



