122 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER. 



The adult bird has "the beak black; the irides brown; the forehead white, with a 

 black patch above it, extending to the eye on each side ; top of the head and the occiput, 

 brown; lore and ear coverts, black; nape of the neck, white. Back, scapulars, wing 

 coverts, tertials, rump, and upper tail coverts, ash brown; primary and secondary wing 

 feathers, dusky brown; these and the greater wing coverts edged with white. The first 

 primary quill feather with a broad white shaft; tail feathers, ash brown at the base, 

 darker towards the end. The five outer tail feathers on each side white at the end; 

 this colour increasing in extent on each lateral feather, the outer one on each side having 

 only a dusky spot on the inner web, but this appears to be constant at all ages; chin 

 and throat, white — this colour extending from the latter round the nape of the neck; 

 below this and above the breast is a collar of black. The breast itself, the belly, vent, 

 and under tail coverts, pure white; legs and toes, flesh-colour, tinged with yellow; the 

 claws, black. 



Adult females have the white and black frontal bands narrower than the males, according 

 to M. Temminck, and they are also less perfectly defined. 



Young birds of the year want all the decided black markings which distinguish old 

 birds, and the ash brown feathers of the back and wing coverts have buff-coloured 

 margins."— Yarrell. 



The length is about six inches and a quarter. 



