Birds. 9301 
AMERICAN. EUROPEAN. 
Middle toe . : - f 1 inch. 1 inch. 
Claw : 3: 3: 
Inner toe : : . Ty ee Te 
Claw 3. fie 
Outer tue = : : fe $< 
Claw : : : : : 3: free 
Tibia bare thee the 
There is also considerable difference in the plumage, particularly as 
regards the colour of the axillaries, which in the former are of an uni- 
form ash-brown, but in the latter pure white. The spots on the pos- 
terior part of the back of the American bird are of an irregular oval 
shape, but in the European bird they are triangular. The former is a 
much darker bird, and has considerably less of the golden tinge on 
the plumage. According to Macgillivray, the centre claw of the 
European species is half an inch; but this must be a mistake, for 
I have generally found the claw little more than half that length: so 
we must look elsewhere for distinguishing marks and features, and 
they are not wanting, for not only is the tarsus of Charadrius virgini- 
anus proportionably longer, the tibia more bare by three-tenths of an 
inch, the axillaries of a totally different colour, the wing more pointed, 
and the under parts of a dull brown and yellowish gray, but the latter 
bird is at least a third less in size and weight. Having made these 
few remarks, I shall now describe it more fully. Bill black; nostril 
linear; eyes black and large; forehead broad and rounded, light gray, 
that colour extending to the cheeks, but the whole more or less spotted 
with reddish brown. Crown of the head black, longitudinally streaked 
with irregular yellowish brown spots and lines, the latter colour in- 
creasing towards the auriculars and nape. Hind neck cinereous-gray, 
with a yellowish brown tinge. Back black, anteriorly marked with 
small irregular gray and grayish yellow spots; towards the posterior 
the spots, increasing in size and number, become more regular, and 
are for the most part of a golden yellow: the spots are more oval 
than triangular. Upper tail-coverts black, bordered with yellow spots. 
Tail 23 inches in length, has twelve dusky black feathers, nearly even ; 
the exterior one barred with white on the outer web, and spotted with 
the same on the inner, which is mottled with grayish white, and the 
tip is slightly tinged with yellow; second barred with grayish white, 
margined with yellowish white spots, and tipped with the same; 
third and fourth, though almost similarly marked, are darker; fifth has 
triangular yellow spots on the margins, and more of that colour at the 
