10 



Order XIII.— GRALLATORES. 



Family CHARADltllD^. fBojiaparte.J 



Genus Charadrius, ( Linnceus.) 



Generic Characters. — Beak shorter than the head, slender, 

 straight, compressed at its base, and swollen at its point; 

 nasal furrow prolonged for two thirds of its length. Nostrils 

 basal, lateral, linear, longitudinally cleft in the membrane 

 of the furrow. Feet long, or of moderate length, slender; 

 three toes all in front, the outer slightly connected at the base 

 to the middle toe by a membrane; the internal one free.- Tail 

 slightly rounded or square. Wings middle sized, — the first 

 quill slightly shorter than the second, which is the longest 

 in the wing. 



SPUR-WINGED PLOVER. 



Charadrius sj)i?iosus. 



Charadrius spinosus, LiNN^us; 1766. 



" ventralis, Waglee. 



'* duvauceli, Lesson. 



Pluvialis senegalis armata, Bkisson. 



H.oplopterus spinosus, Bonaparte. Hasselquist. 



" " Keyseeling et Blasius. 



Yanellus melasomus, Swainson. 



Pluvier arme commun, Of the Fbench. 



Gemeiner SpornJciehietz, Of the Geemans. 



Specific Characters. — Hair brown on the back ; the pitchy black 

 feathers of the occiput elongated into a crest; all the primaries 



