258 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YOKK 



border meeting over the forehead; feathers under the raised wings 

 black. Ad. in late summer and fall. — Upper parts dark brown, 

 speckled with white; under parts white, with an occasional black 

 feather ; tail and wings as in spring. Im. — Upper parts lighter 

 and with a golden shade on each feather; under parts white. 



The Black-bellied Plover is a rather common migrant 

 along the coast in spring and fall, passing north in May, 



Fig. 77. Black-bellied Plover, Immature 



and returning from late July to November. The young 

 birds which appear in August are called Beetle-heads by 

 the gunners ; as they are more numerous than the adults 

 and far less vi'ary, they are more often seen by students. 

 Both old and young frequent the mud-flats and sand-bars 

 left bare by the tide ; here they feed either alone or in 

 company with Eing-necks, Turnstones, and Peep. They 

 scatter when feeding like E.ing-necks and stand about head- 

 ing in different directions, or after a short run, pick some- 

 thing from the sand. So far as I know, they do not bob, 

 though all our other plovers do. 



The notes of the Black-belly are among the most musical 

 uttered by shore-birds ; the call most often heard, either 



