﻿344 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEU.M 
  

  

  distinct 
  from 
  the 
  membranous 
  portion; 
  nasal 
  groove 
  short 
  and 
  wide, 
  the 
  

   nostrils 
  appearing 
  in 
  it 
  as 
  an 
  open 
  slit; 
  gape 
  small; 
  legs 
  lengthened, 
  tarsi 
  

   longer 
  than 
  toes, 
  mostly 
  reticiilate 
  ; 
  middle 
  and 
  outer 
  toes 
  webbed 
  at 
  the 
  

   base; 
  hind 
  toe 
  usually 
  wanting; 
  wings 
  long 
  and 
  pointed. 
  

  

  Plovers 
  are 
  birds 
  of 
  conspicuous 
  black 
  and 
  white 
  coloration, 
  strong 
  

   flight 
  and 
  whistling 
  notes, 
  sometimes 
  mellow, 
  sometimes 
  piercing, 
  but 
  

   always 
  far-reaching. 
  They 
  are 
  somewhat 
  gregarious 
  in 
  habits, 
  but 
  do 
  not 
  

   fly 
  in 
  such 
  dense 
  flocks 
  as 
  sandpiper's. 
  They 
  run 
  with 
  ease 
  and 
  often 
  

   indulge 
  in 
  peculiar 
  antics 
  especially 
  at 
  the 
  breeding 
  season. 
  There 
  are 
  

   about 
  75 
  species 
  of 
  Plover 
  distributed 
  iii 
  all 
  regions 
  of 
  the 
  world, 
  8 
  of 
  which 
  

   are 
  foimd 
  in 
  North 
  America. 
  / 
  

  

  Vajielius 
  vanellus 
  (Linnaeus) 
  

   Lapwing 
  

  

  Tringa 
  vanell 
  ^-'s 
  Linnaeus. 
  Svst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  lo. 
  

  

  1758. 
  

   1895. 
  

  

  i: 
  148 
  

   No. 
  (269) 
  

  

  Vanellus 
  vanellus 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  

  

  vanel'ius, 
  Lat. 
  diminutive 
  of 
  vannus, 
  fan, 
  alluding 
  to 
  the 
  wing 
  strokes 
  

  

  Description. 
  Bill 
  slender, 
  shorter 
  than 
  head; 
  legs 
  long; 
  middle 
  and 
  

   outer 
  toes 
  webbed 
  at 
  base, 
  inner 
  toe 
  free, 
  hind 
  toe 
  small; 
  wings 
  verv 
  long, 
  

   rounded, 
  second 
  to 
  fifth 
  primaries 
  longest; 
  primaries 
  broad, 
  the 
  first 
  three 
  

  

  or 
  four 
  narrowed 
  toward 
  the 
  tip; 
  sec- 
  

   ondaries 
  long 
  and 
  wide; 
  long 
  tapering 
  

   recurved 
  crest; 
  plumage 
  of 
  upper 
  parts 
  

   iridescent; 
  top 
  and 
  front 
  of 
  head, 
  throat 
  

   and 
  forehreast 
  black; 
  sides 
  of 
  head 
  and 
  

   neck, 
  under 
  parts 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  tail 
  white, 
  

   the 
  latter 
  with 
  broad, 
  black 
  terminal 
  band; 
  

   upper 
  parts 
  iridescent 
  green, 
  passing 
  to 
  

   bluish 
  black 
  on 
  the 
  wing 
  feathers 
  ; 
  bill 
  

   black; 
  legs 
  red. 
  Female 
  slightly 
  duller 
  

   with 
  shorter 
  crest. 
  

  

  . 
  Length 
  13 
  inches; 
  wing 
  8.5-9; 
  tail 
  

   4 
  ; 
  tarsus 
  2 
  ; 
  middle 
  toe 
  i 
  ; 
  bill 
  i 
  . 
  

  

  This 
  famous 
  palearctic 
  species 
  is 
  

   still 
  common 
  in 
  Europe 
  in 
  spite 
  of 
  the 
  

   hundreds 
  of 
  thousands 
  of 
  its 
  eg-Rs 
  which 
  

  

  Lapwing. 
  Vanellus 
  vanellus 
  (Linnaeus). 
  From 
  speci- 
  

   men 
  in 
  State 
  Museum, 
  i 
  nat. 
  size 
  

  

  "tot)" 
  

  

  are 
  sent 
  yearh^ 
  from 
  the 
  lowlands 
  of 
  

  

  