380 SHORE BIRDS OF NOVA SCOTIA — GILPIN. 



Colour of bill yellow, with black tip ; toes and legs yellow, but 

 palms and toes slightly pencilled dark, yellow ring about the eye. 

 Head, back, wing coverts and rumps ashey grey, but coverts 

 with slight black shading, each feather with a white edge. 

 Forehead white, with a black band above, a black collar going 

 round the back, but more or less incomplete in front. The cheeks 

 whitish with ashey wash, showing small black spots beneath and 

 behind eye. In one specimen the black collar was entire around 

 the throat ; chin, hind neck, breast, belly and all below white.. 

 Sides of rump white, middle tail feathers black with light tips ; 

 lateral tail feathers white, 2nd lateral tail feathers white, 3d in- 

 ner white, with a black spot in it, the other lateral ones having 

 black bands on the extremities, but near the body white. Shaft 

 of the primaries and secondaries white. The primaries black 

 upon the outer van, but having a white streak running through 

 them and the secondaries, and joining the lower edges of the 

 greater wing coverts and tertiaries. The tips of primaries and 

 secondaries were black, the wings not reaching the end of tail in 

 dead bird. The eye was black with yellow ring. No hind toe, 

 inner toe cleft to base, scarcely a web between outer and middle 

 toes. This is the nuptial plumage of the piping plover, differing 

 sharply in colour, and not having semi-palmated feet, from the 

 semi-palmated species, and agreeing with the imperfect Fall birds. 

 I have not noticed Wilson's plover in Nova Scotia. 



Of the sand peeps I have been able after years of study, mea- 

 surement and coloured drawings, to determine but three species. 

 It will better serve the interests of truth for me to describe these 

 species from my own note book, rather than attempt a classifica- 

 tion with the older or more modern naturalist. Those who are 

 willing to wade through my paper will, I am certain, have 

 a true history of the Nova Scotian Species. 

 Small Sand Peep, Aug. 23, 1876, Digby : 



Extreme length, 5§ inches. 



From wing to wing, llf inches. 



Length of bill, 6-8 inch. 



Length of tarsus and toes, 1| inch. 

 Toes not connected by membrane at base, hind toe small ; legs 



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