CHARADRIID^— THE PLOVERS. 23 



Bill very large (as long as, or longer than middle toe), the terminal half of 

 the ciilmen much arched, the base of the gonys forming a decided angle; 

 tarsus about one and one half times to nearly twice as long as middle 

 toe Subgenus Ochlhodromus 



Bill ^lender, wide at base, much longer than middle toe; tarsus more than 

 twice as long as middle toe Subgenus Podasocys. 



Genus CHARADRIUS Linn^us. 

 Subgenus Squatarola Cuvier. 



Squatarola Cuvieb, Reg. Anim. i, 1817, 467. Type, Tringa squatarola LiNN. 



Char. A rudimentary hind toe. Legs reticulated with elongated hexagons anteriorly, 

 of which there are five or six in a transverse row: fewer behind. First primary longest. 

 Tail slightly rounded. 



,But a single species of this subgenus is known, this being the 

 well-known "Beetle-head" or "Bull-head" Plover of eastern 

 gunners, a bird of nearly cosmopolitan distribution. 



Charadrius squatarola (Linn.) 



BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, 



Popular synonyms. Beetle-head or Bull-head ; Plover of eastern gimners and sportsmen ; 

 Bottle-head; Black-breast. 



• Tringa squatarola Linn. S. N. ed. 10. 1758, 149; ed. 12, 1766. 252. 



Charadrius squatar-ila Naum. Vog. Deutschl, vii, 1834, 250.— A. 0. U. Check List, 1886, 

 No. 270.-RIDGW. Man. N. Am. B. 1887. 173. 

 Tringa helvetica Linn. S. N. ed. 12, 1766, 250. 

 Squatarola helvetica Cuv.— Cass. in E^aird's B. N. Am. 1858, 697.— Baied, Cat. N. Am. B. 

 1859. No. 510.— CoUES. Key, 1872. 243; Check List, 1874. No. 395; 2d ed. 1882, No. 580; Birds 

 N. W. 1874. 448.-RIDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881. No. 513.— B. B. & E. Water B. N. Am. i, 

 1884, 132. 

 Charadrius helveticus Light.— Nutt. Man. ii, 1834, 26. Aud. Orn. Biog. iv. 1838, 280, pi. 

 334; Synop. 1839, 221; Birds Am. v, 1842 199, pi. 315. 

 Charadrius apricarius Wilson. Am. Orn. vii. 1813, 41. 



Hab. Nearly cosmopolitan, but chiefly the northern hemisphere; breeding in the ex- 

 treme northern parts of its range, migrating in winter to southern portions, expending, in 

 America, as far as Brazil and Colombia. Bermudas, and throughout the West Indies. 



Sp. Chae. Bill and legs strong; wings long; a very small rudimentary hind toe. Sum- 

 mer plumage: Around the base of the bill to the eyes, neck before, and under parts of 

 body, black; upper parts grayish white, nearly pure and unspotted on the forehead; sides 

 of the neck and rump tinged with ashy, and ha\ing irregular transverse spots of brownish 

 black on the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts; the brownish black frequently predomi- 

 nating on those parts, and the rump also frequently with transverse bars of the same. 

 Lower part of the abdomen, tibia, and under tail-coverts, white. Quills brownish black, 

 lighter on their inner webs, with a middle portion of their shafts white, and a narrow longi- 

 tudinal stripe of white frequently on the shorter primaries and secondaries. Tail white, 

 with transverse imperfect narrow bands of black. The black color of the under parts gen- 

 erally with a faint bronzed or coppery lustre, and presenting a scale-like appearance; the 

 brownish black of the upper parts with a greenish lustre. Bill and legs black; iris brown. 

 Younger and winter plumage : Entire upper parts dark brown, with circular and irregular 

 email spots of white, and frequently of yellow, most numerous on the wing-coverts; upper 



