364 JEG1ALIT1S MELODUS. 



Toe membrane, not large. Sternum, stout, the outer marginal indentation being but very little deeper thnninner. Tongue, 

 short, fleshy, and rounded at tip. Sexes, very similar. 



COLOR. Adult. Above, very pale ashy-brown, becoming lighter on tail which is tipped with white, and the outer 

 feathers are of the samo color, while all, excepting these, are crossed by a broad band of dark-brown. Wings, dark-brown, 

 with line on inner webs, elongated spots on outer webs of inner primaries, central stripes on outer, base and tips of second- 

 aries, and bar across greater coverts, white. Forehead, white, above which is a lunet of black Under parts, white, which 

 extends in a collar back of neck and below this is a band of black which meets behind, broadens on sides and is often inter- 

 rupted on breast, hut is sometimes continuous. 



Youny. Quite similar to the adult but the black markings of head and neck are nearly, or quite, obsolete. The females 

 are generally paler than the males. 



Ne.itliny.1. Are covered above with a yellowish-ash down mixed with rufous. Beneath, white. Iris, brown, bill, black, 

 yellow at base, and feet, yellow, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Known from all other Plovers having a single ring around neck, by the comparatively small bill and toe membrane, as 

 well as pale colors, they being the lightest of the genus in our section. Distributed in summer along the Eastern coast 

 from the Carolinas as far north as the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Winters on the Elorida Keys and Bahamas. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 6'75; stretch, 14'45; wing, 4'75; tail, 2'75; 

 bill, -66; tarsus, '92. Longest specimen, 7'3(>; greatest extent of wing, 15'45; longest wing, 5'03; tail, 2 65, bill. "72; 

 tarsus, 98. Shortest specimen, 6'30; smallest extent of wing, 13'50; shortest wing, 4'5<); tail, 1-90; bill, '50; tarsus, '85. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Eyys, placed on the ground in a slight depression of the soil, on a few bits of shells, etc.; four or five in number, py- 

 riform in shape, pale yellowish-nsh in color, finely and thickly spotted and dotted with black, yellowish and lilac. Dimen- 

 sions from '90x MO to 1'OOx 1'20. 



HABITS. 



There are peculiar sections of sea shore along our eastern coast, which are covered 

 with shifting sand that the high winds of autumn and Avinter are constantly sweeping into 

 dunes which are of ever varying form; consequently, but little vegetation grows on them. 

 These barren tracts are the chosen resort of the Piping Plovers and the pallid tints of these 

 birds are so nearly like the color of the sands on which they live, that, when they are mo- 

 tionless, it is almost impossible to detect one a short distance away, and on a foggy morn- 

 ing, when objects are only indistinctly seen, the birds are quite invisible twenty or thirty 

 yards away, even while running. At such times, especially during the breeding season, they 

 utter a peculiar, long-drawn whistle which coming, as it does, out of the enshrouding fog, 

 has a singularly wild and mournful effect. Besides this cry, the birds emit other and more 

 lively notes which are more often given when their nesting places are approached. The 

 eggs are laid in a simple hollow scratched in the sand and the birds, as if aware that they 

 would be more conspicuous if placed on a smooth surface, choose nesting places in the hol- 

 lows between the dunes, into which the edding winds have swept bits of bark, roots, and 

 other debris. 



When sitting, I think the female seldom flies unless disturbed but simply runs to the 

 neighboring beach, in order to feed, without rising and returns the same way. Now us 

 the eggs are quite hard to find on account of the birds leaving them whenever they per- 

 ceive an intruder, I would look for the track of a Plover in the sand and by following it 

 persistently, would finally come to the nest, the proximity to which could always be de- 

 termined by the increased number of tracks, crossing and recrossing the one which was 

 my guide. 



