CHARADRIUS VIRGINIANUS. 



The specimens from which our plate is drawn, are from New Holland, and 

 formed a part of the valuable skins purchased from Mr Harper. The chief 

 distinctions between the C. T^irginianus, and the European Golden Plover, are, 

 in the former, the lesser size, the larger and stronger proportion of the bill, the 

 yellowness of the inferior parts of the body, and the pale wood brown colour of the 

 long inferior wing coverts ; but a short synoptical table of the principal differences, 

 when placed in opposition to each other, will more satisfactorily point them out. 



C. pluvialis, from recent British specimens. 



1. Total length, 10^ inches. 



2. Length of bill to extremity of gape, 1 inch. 



3. Length of wing, from joining of bastard pinion 



to forearm, and tip of first or longest quill, 

 8 inches. 



4. Length of unfea thered tibia, f inch. 



5. Length of tarsus, If inch. 



6. Throat, lower part of the breast, belly, vent, 



and crissum, pure white. 



7. Pale markings on the upper parts, dull gamboge 



yellow ; spotting more in oblong spots ; and, 

 on the wing and tail-coverts, take the form 

 of bars. 



8. Light markings on the tail dull and undecided, 



with a decided dark barring. 



9. Outer tail-feathers with pale margins, the dis- 



tinct and frequent barring through the whole 

 length. 



10. Under wing-coverts and axillaries pure white. 



11. Lesser wing-coverts, tipped with white, but 



otherwise of a uniform colour. 



C. Virginianus, from specimens received fromvarious 

 parts of the continent of India, East Indian 

 Islands, and New Holland. 



1. The skins are about 10 inches in length, but 



are much stretched ; 91, or 8, as mentioned 

 by Wagler, nearly the true length. 



2. Length of bill to extremity of gape, 1^ inch. 



3. Length of wing, from joining of bastard pinion 



to forearm, and tip of first or longest quill, 

 61 inches. 



4. Length of unfeathered tibia, f inch. 



5. Length of tarsus, nearly If inch. 



6. Throat, and all under parts, dull yellowish gray, 



with darker tips to the feathers. 



7. Pale markings on the upper parts larger, and 



inclining more to clear white ; above, more 

 in spots on the sides of the feathers. 



8. Light markings on the tail decided, nearly 



white ; no dark bar through it. 



9. Outer tail-feathers, with white tip and outer 



margin, which shoot down the rachis. 



10. Under wing-coverts and axillaries, wood brown. 



11. Lesser wing-coverts, tipped, and rather broadly 



edged with white. 



Our figure is nearly of the natural size : the bill is dusky, but appears to have 

 been yellowish at the base ; the crown of the head and nape are brownish black, 

 the feathers deeply margined with yellow ; the back and scapulars are dark hair- 

 brown, spotted with yellowish-white, and deep king's yellow ; the wing-coverts 

 covering the secondary quills, are edged with white, and form a bar across the 

 wings ; the quills are dark hair-brown ; the anterior half of the rachis white ; the 

 forehead, cheeks, and throat, are yellowish white ; the inferior part of the neck and 

 breast, yellowish gray, with triangular spots and bars of pale hair-brown ; the belly 



