GOLDEN PLOVER. 627 



Chahadrius pluvialis, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 254.— Lath. Ind. Ornitli. vol. ii. 



p. 740 — Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 297- 

 Golden Plover, Charadrius pluvialis, Wils. Amer. Omith. vol. vii. p. 71. 



pi. 59. fig. 6., Winter. — Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 16. 



Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCC. Fig. 1. 



Bill shorter than the head, straight, subcylindrieal. Upper mandi- 

 ble with the dorsal line straight and slightly sloping for two-thirds of its 

 length, then bulging a little and curving to the tip, which is rather acute, 

 the sides flat and sloping at the base, convex towards the end, where the 

 edges are sharp and inclinate. Nasal groove extended along two-thirds 

 of the mandible, filled with a bare membrane ; nostrils basal, linear, in the 

 lower part of the membrane, open and pervious. Lower mandible with 

 the angle long, narrow, but rounded, the sides at the base sloping out- 

 wards and flat, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges 

 sharp and involute towards the narrow tip. 



Head of moderate size, oblong, rather compressed, the forehead 

 rounded. Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, rather full. 

 Wings long. Feet rather long, slender ; tibia bare for a considerable 

 space ; tarsus rather compressed, covered all round with reticulated hexa- 

 gonal scales ; toes slender ; the hind toe wanting ; third or middle toe 

 longest, fourth considerably longer than the second, all scutellate above 

 and marginate, the outer connected with the middle toe by a membrane 

 as far as the second joint ; claws small, compressed, slightly arched, slen- 

 der but obtuse at the end, the inner edge of the middle claw dilated. 



Plumage soft, blended, slightly glossed, the feathers rounded. Wings 

 long and pointed ; primary quills tapering, the first longest, the second a 

 little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; outer secondaries short, broad, 

 obliquely rounded, inner tapering and elongated. Tail rather short, 

 rounded, of twelve rounded feathers. 



Bill black. Iris brown. Feet bluish-grey. The upper part of 

 the head, the fore part of the back, and the scapulars are beautifully va- 

 riegated with brownish-black and bright yellow, the latter in spots along 

 the edges of the feathers. The hind part of the back greyish-brown, 

 variegated v/ith yellow of a duller tint ; the tail brown, barred with white. 

 The wings are hair-brown, the smaller coverts spotted with yellowish- 

 white, the primary coverts and secondaries tipped with white. The in- 



n r 2 



