AMERICAN RING PLOVER. 259 
Head of moderate size, oblong, rather compressed, the forehead 
rounded. Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, compact. 
Wings long. Feet slender, of moderate length ; tibia bare a conside- 
rable way above the joint; tarsus of moderate length, rather com- 
pressed, covered all round with sub-hexagonal scales; toes slender ; 
the hind toe wanting ; third or middle toe much longer than the outer, 
which exceeds the inner; all with numerous scutella; the outer con- 
nected with the middle toe by a web which extends to the second joint 
of the former, and runs along the edge of the latter, forming a broad 
margin, the outer toe also connected with the middle toe by a short 
membrane which does not extend more than half-way to the second 
joint. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather blunt, that of 
the middle toe having the inner edge dilated. 
Plumage soft and blended ; the feathers rounded, those of the back 
somewhat distinct. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering, 
the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; 
outer secondaries incurved and obliquely emarginate ; the inner taper- 
ing and elongated, one of them reaching to half an inch from the tip of 
the longest primary. ‘Tail of moderate length, considerably rounded, 
of twelve feathers. 
Bill black, its basal half rich orange. Iris deep hazel. Feet pale 
flesh-colour, claws black. Forehead, loral space, and a band passing 
below the eye and including the auriculars, black ; the rest of the head 
above and the nape, light greyish-brown, tinged with dull olive. A 
broad band between the eyes, continuous with a streak over them, a 
small band on the lower eyelid, and a ring on the middle of the neck, 
enlarged in front so as to cover the throat, pure white. A broad ring 
of black on the lower part of the neck, broader in front. All the lower 
parts and the sides of the rump white. The upper parts of the same 
greyish-brown as the head, the scapulars and elongated inner seconda- 
ries more decidedly glossed with olive. Alula, primary coverts, and 
primary quills dusky, the coverts tipped with white, the outer prima- 
ries, with a portion of the shaft white, the inner with an elongated 
patch of white on the outer web in addition, and the proximal part of 
the inner web of the same colour. Secondary quills with a narrow ter- 
minal margin of white, which is much enlarged on (or in some specimens 
covers) the two next to the elongated ones, which are externally mar- 
gined with brownish-white. Tail pale greyish-brown, brownish black 
