BIRDS. 125 



region and middle of crown are edged more or less strongly with white, and the post-oculars, 

 with an area extending down the neck and across the breast, are marked with white in the same 

 manner. Bill and feet dull greenish-black. The spring female has the white markings about the 

 head and breast much obscured, and is also distinguished by the brownish shade on the dorsal 

 surface. The young of the year lack the white marking on the head ; the throat is pale brown, 

 and the head, neck, and breast are dull brown, becoming gradually darker posteriorly, where the 

 color on the back is darker brown with a greenish shade as in the adult, and the feathers of the 

 back, breast, and scapulars are edged with grayish and pale brown. I was unfortunate in not being 

 able to secure the downy young of this species. 



Ohaeadeius dominicus ptjlvus (Gmel.). Pacific Golden Plover (Esk. Tu-zhek). 



The relationship of the Golden Plovers found on the islands and coast of Bering Sea is rather 

 unsettled, owing to the presence of this bird, which reaches the coast during the summer 

 and breeds, mingling, at this season, with the well known bird of North A.merica. A careful 

 comparison of a series of about forty Golden Plovers from the northwest coast of Alaska with 

 specimens from the interior of America and the Asiatic coast does not reveal any constant differ- 

 ence in color-markings sufflcient to invariably distinguish, the birds of the different regions. There 

 appears to be a difference in size sufficient generally to distinguish resident Asiatic birds from 

 those of interior North America. On the Siberian coast of Bering Sea the typical Asiatic form is 

 found common, and is of much rarer occurrence on the Alaskan coast, from the peninsula ol 

 Aliaska north to Point Barrow. On this stretch of coast to the island of Saint Lawrence domi- 

 nicus is the predominating form, but specimens are found grading in a regular series from this 

 bird to the fulvus of the Asiatic region. The considerable number of specimens examined show 

 that only the ordinary dominicus occurs in the interior of Alaska. The breeding range of this 

 latter form extends thus over the entire interior of Alaska and meets that ot fulvus along the west 

 coast of the Territory in the vicinity of Bering Straits, with its southern limit on the Shumagin 

 Islands and the adjoining coast of the North Pacific. Fulvus breeds around the northern shore 

 of Bering Sea on both continents, and upon their Arctic coasts as well. It is a rare fall visitant to 

 the Near Islands. It occurs on the islands of Bering Sea from the Fur Seal group north to Saint 

 Lawrence. It also occurs on the Commander Islands during the migrations. At Wrangel Island, 

 in the Arctic, a single Golden Plover was seen by me, which was undoubtedly this form. Elliott 

 secured the original American, specimen of this race on Saint Paul's Island of the Far Seal group, 

 May 2, 1873, and was informed by the natives that it was a frequent visitor, occurring there the 

 last of April and first of May in spring, and returning in September, when it feeds upon the larvae 

 found upon the killing-grounds of the seals, passing south toward the last of October. 



No specimens of fulvus have been taken along the Pacific coast south of Alaska, hence it is 

 probable that very few, if any, of this race follow this course in their southern migrations, whereas 

 dominicus is known to migrate throughout the breadth of the continent. Fulvus breeds along the 

 northern border of Asia, and migrates south, in winter, to the eastern countries in India, and in 

 the southeast islands reaches New Zealand. Mr. Swinhoe describes its nest as a loose structure 

 of dried grass and fibers lining a hollow, containing four eggs. These are greenish gray, blotched 

 and spotted with deep blackish sepia, and have occasionally obsolete purplish gray spots. They 

 measure about 1.60 by 1.10, thus showing a marked discrepancy in size between the eggs of this 

 bird and dominicus. 



The most striking distinction between the two forms of this Plover is shown by the young 

 birds in autumn. At this season the young of fulvus has the entire crown and back marked with 

 golden yellow in the shape of strong edgings to the feathers. This rich color frequently occupies 

 half or more of the entire dorsal surface, and, joined with the yellow suffusion of the sides of head 

 and neck, which latter extends over the breast in a fainter degree, renders the bird strikingly 

 different from the pale, dull-colored young of the ordinary dominicus from the interior, and even 

 from those found along the Bering Sea coast of Alaska. My large series from this region shows 

 every gradation in other respects from one form to the other, but none of the interior birds ap- 



