BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 101 



I/(t?ritat.Arctic and subarctic America, migrating south throughout tropical 

 America, as far as Brazil and Peru. 



The Semipalmated Plover is a rather common migrant (especially in 

 the fall) about the lake shore and bay, in Erie county, where small flocks 

 often in company with Piping Plovers and the small sandpipers, are 

 seen. The Ringneck, as it is called by some, also occurs more or less 

 frequently, usually singly or in pairs, and sometimes in small flocks 

 with other species, particularly during the fall migrations along the 

 shores of our principal rivers. The Ring Plover arrives in the Erie 

 region early in May, and after breeding north of the United States, 

 returns again in August, and remains until late in September. This 

 little plover can easily be recognized from the next by the extent of the 

 web, which extends to the second joint between the outer and middle 

 toes. This species, according to different writers, feeds on insects, 

 worms, small Crustacea, mollusca and the eggs of fish and other marine 

 animals. 



.ffigialitis meloda 



Piping Plover. 



DESCRIPTION. 



" About the size of JE. semipalmata ; bill short ; strong. 



" Adult male. Forehead, ring around back of neck, and entire under parts, white ; 

 a band of black in front above the band of white ; band encircling the neck before 

 and behind, but usually interrupted in the middle of breast, black, immediately 

 below the ring of white on the neck behind. Head above and upper parts of body 

 light brownish cinereous ; rump and upper tail-coverts lighter, and often white ; 

 quills dark brown, with a large portion of their inner webs and shafts white ; shorter 

 primaries with a large portion of their outer webs white ; tail at base white, and with 

 the outer feathers white ; middle feathers with a wide sub-terminal band of brown- 

 ish-black, and tipped with white. Bill orange at base, tipped with black ; legs orange 

 yellow. 



" Female similar to male, but with the dark colors brighter and less in extent, 



" Young. No black band in front ; collar around the back of the neck ashy-brown/' 

 B. B. and R. B. of N. A. 



Habitat. Eastern province of North America, breeding from thecoast of Virginia 

 (at least formerly) northward ; in winter, West Indies. ; \\l I \ ; 



The Piping Plover, an abundant summer resident pn jth^Atlajj^k?; 

 coast of the United States, breeding, it is said, from irke-Carolinas iiortji-" 

 ward to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is found in the same localities in Penn- 

 sylvania as its near relative, the Semipalmated Plover. During migra- 

 tions the Piping Plover, so called because of rather soft, musical and 

 plaintive note, is about as plentiful in the Lake Erie region as the Semi- 

 palmated, but elsewhere in our state it appears to be quite a rare and 

 irregular visitor. I have never met with this bird in any part of Penn- 

 sylvania except at Erie bay. The late Judge Libhart found it in autumn 

 v along the Susquehanna, in Lancaster county, where it has, also, recently 



