128 PR^COCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOL.E. 



Mr. E. Browne includes it in his list of the birds observed by him on VaneouTer 

 Island, and four specimens of it were procured by Mr. Bischoff near Sitka. Mr. 

 Henshaw did not meet with any of this species on Santa Cruz Island, and he is of the 

 opinion that none breed in that group. Mr. Gruber procured a fine specimen of this 

 bird at Santa Barbara in spring. Mr. Henshaw regarded it as a rather uncommon 

 species on the coast of California, and as one whose habits are but little known. 

 Nothing has been learned in regard to its nesting. It occiu-s on the I'acific coast of 

 South America as far as Chili. 



Family CHAEADEIID^. — The Plovers. 



Char. Small or medium-sized shore-bii'ds (scarcely waders), with rather short, 

 somewhat Pigeon-like bill, large round head, short neck, long and pointed wings, 

 and moderately lengthened legs, the hind toe usually absent. 



The above superficial characters are sufiicient to define the family of Plovers, as 

 distinguished from the allied groups. The affinities of the Plovers are with the 

 Stre23siltdai (Turnstones) on the one hand, and the (Edicnemida; (Thick-kneed Plovers) 

 on the other ; but they seem sufficiently distinct from either, and form, upon the 

 whole, a very well-marked family of the great Limicoliue group. 



The American genera of CharaJrildiv (with the exception of Fhtvlanellus, Homb. 

 & Jacq.,' which we have not seen) may be characterized as follows : — 



Table of American Genera. 



A. Size large (wing more than eiglit inches) ; bead more or less crested ; plumage more or less 

 metallic above. 



a. Occiput with a slender recurved crest ; a well-developed hind toe, with claw ; wing rounded, 

 first quill shorter than fourth. 



1. Vanellus. Wing unarmeJ, or with very rudimentary spur ; tarsus not more than twice 



as Ioiil; lis the middle toe. 



2. Belouopterus.'- Wing armed with a very prominent curved spur on the head of the 



metacarpus ; tarsus more than twice as long as the middle toe. 

 h. Occipital feathers len<;thened, formins,' a soft, pendant, rather bushy crest ; no trace of hind 

 toe ; wmj, pointed, the first quill longest, or longer than fourth. 



3. Ptiloscelys.' Wing armed with a very minute spur; tarsus more than twice as long as 



middle toe. 



B. Size medium or small (wing less than eight inches) ; head without crest, and plumage with- 

 out metallic gloss abo\'e. 



c. Wing more than six inches ; plumaije much speckled or spotted above ; lower parts chiefly 



black in summer. 



4. Squatarola. A well-developed hind toe, without claw. 



5. Charadrius. No trace of hind toe ; otherwise very similar to Squatarola, but smaller and 



more slender. 



d. Wing less than six inches ; plumage nearly or finite uniform grayish or brownish al)ove (the 



rump ochi-aceous in Oxyechun), the lower parts chiefly or entirely white at all stages. 



1 Type, P. sociahilis, Homb. & Jacq. 



'■^ Belonoptcrus, Reich. Handb. 1851, xviii. (type, Charadrius cayennensis, Gmel. Hab. South 

 America). 



' PHIoscelj/s, BoNAP. Coiupt. Rend. XLIII. 1856, 429 (type, Vanellus resplendeiis, Tscnum. Uab. 

 Soutli America). 



