I 





158 



Pll.KCOCIAL ORALLATOHKS- I,IMI(Or,.K. 



The four iiilult i>xitin|tli'» IwlorL' iii* ditfi-r very conHidunhly I'mni each other in Home pointx of 

 coloration. A (treunliinil Hpccjnicn iiml two skinx fi'oni tlii> American nliore of CntnlM-rland (iiiif 

 have till? iilai'lt jugular collar fxti'miiii;,' upwanl over the lowi'r ((art of the throat, forming llicrc 

 (|uite a lU'oniinent angle, while in a l^uropean Hpeeiincn the anterior herder of thin Jugular eollar 



forni« a straight transverse line ; in tlie latter, on tlif other hand, the posterior edgi of the jugular 

 collar is irregular — decidedly concave in the niiddhs and convex laterally — while in the Amer- 

 ican specimens it runs nearly straight across. Whether these differences Itetwecu the hirds of this 

 species from North Ann rica antl Europe are coUHtant, can only be determined by the examination 

 of more extensive material. 



Of the American skins, two adult males collected at the same [dace and on the same day (head 

 of Cumlierland (lulf, .Iinie i'l, 1878, L. KrMi.iKX) dilfcr remarkably from one another in the 

 width of the white frontal b:md. In No, 7(ii;32 this measures only one tenth of an inch in 

 breadth, while in No. 70133 it is three tin»es as wide ! ; there is a nearly corresponding difference, 

 however, in the extent nf the black on the crown, this measuring in the two specimens, respec- 

 tively, .40 and .30 of an inuh. 



The present bird, so well known as the Kinf I'lover of Europe, and until quite 

 rerently supposed to Inive, no other claim to u plaee in our fauna than its rather 

 common presence in (Jreiniland, must now be fully admitted to be a North American 

 species, on other and quite indisputable ground.s. An uiulonbt»'d specimen of it has 

 been tiiken at (}reat Slave Lake, and it has since been found breeding within our 

 borders. I'rofessor Newton states that it breeds generally throughout Greenland, 

 and that it is found on Sabine and Olavering islainls. It is also said to l)e abundant 

 on the shores of Possession Hay and Regent's Iidet. ami was found by Professor 

 Jorell on the Seven Islaiuls (hit. .Sff 4.")' N.) — at that time the highest northern range 

 of any shore-bird. More recently its claim to be acknowledged as North Ameri- 

 can, as wt il as High-Arctic, has been confirmed by Mr. Feildcn, of the IJritish Arctic 

 Expedition of 187/)-7(!, and by Mr. Kumlien. The former states (Ibis, October, 

 1877) that a single example of this species was observed in Smith's Sound, where 

 it was obtained, Aug. 4, 187r». on the lieaeh Ordering the Valley of the Twin (ilacier, 

 in Buchanan Strait (lat. 78° 48' N.). Tt was seen threading its way among the stones 

 and .stranded blocks of ice near the Avater's edge, and was evidently nesting in the 

 neighborhood, as it was a female, and the feathers of the under parts were worn off 

 by incubation. Mr. Kumlien also informs us that this species is apparently more 

 common than even the spmipalvuttn in Cumberland. It arrives there about the 

 middle of June, and breeds in the same localities as that species. It is also very 

 common about Disco Island, Greenland, where he procured young birds. 



