244 



CHARADEIID^, PLOVER. GEN. 191, 192. 



great flocks in the fall, a well-known and highly-rated game bird. It is 

 very near the European species, but seems distinct ; the axillars are gray, 

 not white. It appears to be a variety of the Asiatic ; rather larger and 

 with shorter toes. Wils., vii, 71, pi. 59, f. 5; Nutt., ii, 16; Aud., v, 

 203, pi. 316; Cass, in Bd., 690 fulvus var. virginicus. 



,H \ 



191-2. Genus JEGIALITIS Boie. 



*^'^ Plumage not speckled ; below, white ; head and neck with black bands in 

 the breeding season. 

 /^ * Tarsus about half as long again as the middle toe. (yUgialitis.) 



Klldeer Plover. Eump aud upper tail coverts tawny or orange-brown, 

 most of the tail feathers white at base and tip, sufi"ased with orange-brown 



in a part of their length, and with 

 1-3 black bars ; secondaries mostly 

 white, and jjrimaries with a white 

 space ; forehead white ; a black bar 

 across the crown, and two broad 

 black bands on the neck and breast ; 

 bill black; feet pale grayish-blue. 

 9-10 ; wing 6 or more ; tail 3J, 

 much rounded; tarsus about 1^. 

 North America, very abundant, 

 especially on the Plains ; breeds 

 'anywhere, but rarely in New Eng- 

 FiG. 1515. Kiideer Plover. ];xik1 ; name derived from its pecu- 



liar notes. Wils., vii, 73, pi. 59 ; Ndtt., ii, 22; Aud., v, 207, pi. 317 ; 



Cass, in Bd., 692 vociferus. 



Wilson's Plover. Pale ashy-brown, merging into fulvous on the najje ; a 

 black bar on the crown, and a broad black pectoral belt, grayish-brown in 

 the 9 and young ; no bright ring round eye ; legs flesh-colored ; bill black, 

 extremely large and stout, nearly as long as the head ; 7-8 ; wing 4^-5 ; 

 tail 2, nearly square. Seacoast of S. Athmtic and Gulf States, common ; 

 N. to the middle districts, and probably to New England ; also on the Pacific 

 side to California? Wils., ix, 77, pi. 73, f. 5; Nutt., ii, 21; Aud., v, 



214, pi. 319 ; Cass, in Bd., 693 wilsonius. 



f\ ^S^ Semipalmated Plover. Ring Plover. JRingneck. Dark ashy-brown with / 

 J ! an olivaceous shade ; very broad coronal and pectoral black bars, in the 

 adult of both sexes, that on the breast grayish-brown in the 3'oung, but still 

 evident : edges of eyelid^ bright orange ; bill moderately short and stout, 

 orange or yellow, black-tipped ; legs yellowish ; toes conspicuously semi- 

 palmate. About 7 ; tail about \ as long as the wings, rounded. North 

 America, abundant. Breeds northward. Wils., vii, 65, pi. 59, f. 3 ; Nutt., 

 ii, 24; Aud., v, 218, pi. 320; Cass, in Bd., 674. . . . semip.\lmatus. 

 • Piping Plover. Rhignech. Very pale ashy -brown ; the black bands J 

 \\ narrow, often imperfect; bill colored as in the last, but very short and 



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