PLOVERS 



267 



Washington, casual, one record, May. Long Island, not common S. R., 

 Mch., through Sept. Ossining, A. V. N. Ohio, breeds sparingly, May 5- 

 Sept. 20. Glen Ellyii, two records, May and Sept. SE. Minn., rare T. V., 

 May 11-26. 



Nest, a depression in the beach. Eggs, 3-4, creamy white, finely spotted 

 or speckled with chocolate, 1'24 x '95. Date, Cape May, N. J., June 1, 1875; 

 Shelter Is., N. Y., June 3, 1881; Minor Co., S. D., June 5. 



Because of their pale colors and absence of pronounced black breast 

 bands, Piping Plover are the most difficult to see of our small Plover. 

 They patter over the sand or pebbles like spirit birds and disappear 

 the moment they stop. Their liquid peep, peep, or peep-lo has a true 

 piping quality. As a breeding bird it is now rare, and man's increasing 

 encroachment on its haunts threatens it with extinction as a summer 

 resident in our Atlantic States. 



The RINGED PLOVER (275. dZgialitis hiaticula}, an Old- World species, is 

 found in Greenland. It is similar to JE. semipalmata but slightly larger, the 

 black band on the breast is wider, and there is no web between the inner and 

 middle toes. 



The SNOWY PLOVER (278. dEgialitis nivosa) of the southwestern United 

 States and southward, is of casual occurrence in Ont., La., and Fla. 



280. Ochthodromus wilsonius wilsonius (Ord.}. WILSON'S PLOVER. 

 Ad. <?. Lores, front of crown, and a band on the breast black; rest of under- 

 parts, forehead, and an indistinct ring on the nape white; sides of the head and 

 nape sometimes with rufous markings; cheeks, crown, and back brownish 



gray; inner tail-feathers fuscous, 

 outer ones becoming white. Ad. 9 . 

 Similar, but black replaced by brown- 

 ish gray with rusty on breast. Juv. 

 Similar to 9, but 

 uppcrparts margined 

 with grayish. L., 

 7'50; W.,4'50; Tar., 

 1-10: B., '80. 



Range. S. N. Am. Breeds from 

 Tex. e. along the Gulf coast, and 

 from se. Va. (formerly N. J.) s. to 

 the n. Bahamas; winters from s. L. 

 Calif., Tex., and Fla. s. to s. Guate- 

 mala and probably to the West 

 Indies; casual in N. S. and New 

 England, and at San Diego, Calif. 



Long Island, casual, five May 

 records. 



Nest, a depression in the sand. 

 Eggs, 3, creamy white, evenly and 

 rather finely spotted and speckled 

 with chocolate, 1*42 x 1'03. Date, 



FIG. 84. Wilson's Plover. (Natural size.) 



Sarasota, Fla., Apl. 12; Cobb's Is., 

 Va., May 15. 



This is a more strictly maritime species than the other representa- 

 tives of this genus. Sandy beaches are its favorite resorts, but it is 

 also found on mud-flats exposed by the falling tide. It is a gentle, 

 unsuspicious bird, and when its nest is approached it runs about the 

 intruder and begs as plainly as a bird can that he will not disturb its 



