CHAEADRIUS PULVUS VAR. VIRGINICUS. 449 



VanelJus melanogaster, Bkchstein, Naturg. Dent. 1809, 356.— Tbmm., Man. 1815, 345 ; ii, 



547.— Sab., App. Frank. Journ. 684.^RiCH., App. Parry's 2d Voy. 352.— Sw. & 



Rich., P. B. A. ii, 1831, 370. 

 Sqnatarola melanogaster, Malh., Pn. Orn. Sicil. 1840, 166. 

 CharadHws ajmcarliis, WiLS., Am. Orn. vii, 1813, 41, pi. 57, f. 4. 

 Squatarola wilsoni, LiCHT., Nomencl. Av. 1854, 95. 

 Charadrius longirostns, Bkkhm, J. f. 0. 1854, 79. 

 Squatarola australis, Bonaparte. 

 Squatarola rhijnchomega, Bp., Compt. Rend. 1856, 417. 

 Squatarola megarhynohus, Brehm, Vollst. Vogelf. 1855, 284. 

 Figured.— Sw., Cat. of B. fig. 321; Gray, Gen. of B. iii, 542, pi. 145, f. 9.— Reich., Syst. 



Av. pi. 18— Gould, B. E. pi. 290 ; B. Aust. vi, pi. 12.— Naum., Vog. pi. 178. 

 Black-'belUed, Gray and Swiss Plover. Beetle-head, Bull-head Plover. Oxeye, and a 



variety of other names. 

 Hob. — Nearly cosmopolitan. 



With a close general resemblance to the Golden Plover, especially 

 when in fall plumage, this species will be immediately recognized by 

 the presence of a small hind toe, no trace of which occurs in any of our 

 other Plovers. There are also additional characters. 



In the United States — in fact in most parts of North America — the 

 Black bellied Plover is less abundant than the Golden Plover, and such 

 is particularly the case in the Missouri region, where I never observed 

 it, and where, so far as I have determined, it is recorded only by one 

 writer. Although stated by Audubon and others to breed from Virginia 

 and the Middle States northward, no such instances have come to my 

 knowledge ; and in the United States the species is only known with 

 certainty to occur now during the migrations. In the extensive journeys 

 it performs it gives evident preference for coast-lines of travel, being 

 decidedly more numerous along either of our coasts than in the interior. 

 Nevertheless Dr. Suckley states that he found it " moderately abundant" 

 in Minnesota (where it was not observed by Mr. Trippe or myself). Dr. 

 Cooper remarks that it seems to be a resident bird near the mouth of 

 the Columbia, as he there shot young birds in July; this, however, is 

 not proof that they were actually bred in the vicinity. 



Eggs of this species in the Smithsonian cabinet, collected by E. 

 MacFarlane, esq., on the Arctic coast, east of Anderson Eiver, July 4, 

 1864, aftbrd the following description : Size, 2.10 by 1.40, to 1.90 by 

 1.40, in a set of four. Color, brownish-drab, or rather dark brownish- 

 clay color, very thickly marked at and around the larger end, for nearly 

 half the length of the egg, with irregularly sized and shaped spots and 

 blotches of brownish-black, and over the rest of the surface thinly 

 spotted with smaller marks of the same color. The larger markings 

 around the butt are to a great extent confluent, producing an imperfect 

 wreath. A very few paler shell markings are noted on close scrutiny. 

 The nest was a depression of the ground on the side of a slight 

 eminence, lined with a few dried grasses. Another set of four from the 

 same source average more elongated, the most pointed one being 2.30 

 long by 1.45 broad ; the markings are much more evenly distributed 

 over the whole egg, are smaller, and tending to a confused, scratchy 

 pattern, as well as rather lighter in tone. A third set of four, collected 

 by Mr. MacFarlane, at Franklin Bay, are intermediate between the 

 other two in these respects, though most like the first described. 



CHAEADRIUS FULVUS var. VIEGINICUS, (Bork!) Coues. 

 American Golden Plover. 



a. fulvus. 



Charadrius fiilriis, Gil., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 687 ; and of authors. 

 Pluvialis fiilrus, Bp., C. E. 1856, 417.— Schl., M. P.-B. 1864, 50. 



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