132 NESTS AND EGGS OF 



are beautifully spotted witli dark reddish-brown, approaching black, 

 here and there are obscure shell markings. Average size 1.41x1.00. 

 Four eggs from England, collected May 6, are in my cabinet and meas- 

 ure 1.36x1,00, 1.40XI.02, 1.43 X. 99, 1.42x1.00. 



[276.] ^gialltis dubia (Scop). [519.] 



Little Rimg Plover. 



Hab. Northern portions of Eastern Hemisphere. Accidental on the coast of California and in 



The lyittle Ringed Dotterel or Little Ringed Plover breeds in the 

 northern portions of the Old World. 



Its general habits, nesting and eggs are said to resemble those ot 

 the Semipalmated Plover, but the eggs, like the bird, are much 

 smaller. 



A set of four eggs in the cabinet of Mr. J. Parker Norris were col- 

 lected April 5, 1885, by H. Muller, at Anclam, Germany. They are 

 short ovate in form, of a pinkish-buff ground color, finely speckled all 

 over with bistre. They measnre 1.16X.87, i.i8x.88, 1.19X.90, 



1.21X.88. 



277. ^gialltis meloda (Ord). [520.] 



Piping Plover. 



Hab. Chiefly the Atlantic coast of the United States, north to southern Labrador. In winter. West 

 Indies. 



The Piping Plover is an abundant species in the summer months 

 along the eastern coast of the United States, breeding from the Caro- 

 linas northward as far as the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is a graceful 

 and attractive little species, possessing a remarkably musical voice 

 which can be heard as the bird moves gracefully over the sandy 

 beaches. Its food is small marine worms, Crustacea, etc. During in- 

 cubation it is said that the parents rarely sit upon their eggs, except 

 at night and in damp weather, but always remain in the vicinity and 

 watch over their treasures with solicitude. 



The eggs are four in number, pale buff, speckled with black and 

 purplish gray. In some the markings are very much more profuse 

 than in others. The average size of a large series ( fifty in number) is 

 1.29 X. 95. Four specimens measure, 1.28x1.01, 1.31x1.01, 1.25 x 

 1.03, 1.28 X i.oo. 



277 a. ^gialitis meloda clrcumcincta Ridgw. [520a.] 



Belted Piping Plover. 



Hab. Missouri River region; occasionally eastward to the Atlantic coast. 



This variety of the Piping Plover is found between the Missouri 

 River and the Rocky Mountains and as far eastward as Lake Kos- 

 konong, in southern Wisconsin and occasionally along the Atlantic 

 coast. Its habits are the same as those of meloda. The eggs measure 

 1.27 X .93. 



