THE PLOVERS. 137 



a schizognathous palate, opisthocoelous dorsal vertebrae, and no 

 basipterygoid processes. The nostrils are schizorhinal, the 

 spinal-feather tract is forked on the upper back, and occipital 

 fontanelles are present. Most of the species have young 

 covered with golden or buff down variegated with black, and 

 they are able to run and pick up food for themselves soon after 

 they are hatched. 



The Charadrii are found in every portion of the globe, and 

 are amongst the most migratory of birds, breeding in the ex- 

 treme north, and many of them reaching the southernmost points 

 of America, Africa, and Asia on their winter migrations. 



THE PLOVERS AND SNIPES. FAMILY 

 CHARADRIID.E. 



There is but one Family in the Sub-order Charadrii, and its 

 characters are, of course, synonymous with those of the Sub- 

 order. In this volume I have followed the arrangement 

 adopted by Mr. Howard Saunders in his excellent " Manual," 

 but in the " Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum," I have 

 adopted the following sequence of the Sub-families of the 

 Charadriidcc : I. ArenariincR (Turn-stones); II. Hcematopo- 

 dince (Oyster-catchers) ; III. Lobivanellince (Wattled Plovers) ; 

 IV. Charadriincc (True Plovers), Himantopodince (Stilts and 

 Avocets), TotanintK (Sandpipers), Scolopacina (Snipes), and 

 Phalaropince. (Phalaropes). 



In my present arrangement I begin with 



THE TRUE PLOVERS. SUB-FAMILY 

 CHARADRIIN^E. 



All the True Plovers have the tarsus reticulated both in front 

 and behind, the reticulations being generally well-marked and 

 in the form of hexagonal scales, but not transverse plates, as in 

 many Plovers. There is also a "dertrum," or swelling of the 

 end of the bill, which is more prominent than the basal por- 

 tion. 



Among the Charadriincz are contained a few genera of 



