BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. 201 



Male, 1 If, 25. 



From Texas along the coast to the northern extremity of the Continent. 

 Breeds from Virginia northward. Not abundant. 



Adult Male in summer. 



Bill as long as the head, straight, somewhat compressed, stout. Upper 

 mandible with the dorsal line straight and slightly sloping for more than half 

 its length, then bulging a little and arched to the tip, which is rather acute, 

 the sides flat and sloping at the base, convex towards the end, where the 

 edges are sharp and inclinate. Nasal groove extended to a little more than 

 half the length of the mandible; nostrils sub-basal, linear, open and pervious. 

 Lower mandible with the angle rather long and narrow, the sides at the base 

 erect and nearly flat, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges 

 sharp and involute towards the narrow tip. 



Head of moderate size, roundish, the forehead much rounded. Eyes large. 

 Neck rather short. Body ovate, rather full. Feet rather long, slender; 

 tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus rather compressed, covered all 

 round with reticulated hexagonal scales; toes of moderate length, slender; 

 the first extremely diminutive, with an equally minute claw; the second 

 shorter than the fourth, which is much exceeded by the third; the anterior 

 toes are rather broadly marginate, the web between the third and fourth ex- 

 tending to the second joint of the latter, that between it and the second 

 smaller. Claws small, compressed, slightly arched, acute. 



Plumage soft, blended, the feathers broad and rounded. Wings long and 

 pointed, primary quills tapering, the first longest, the second a quarter of an 

 inch shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries short, broad, obliquely 

 rounded; the inner tapering and elongated. Tail rather short, slightly 

 rounded, of twelve rounded feathers. 



Bill and claws black. Iris and feet greyish-black. Forehead yellowish- 

 white, the rest of the head and the hind neck greyish-white, spotted with 

 dusky. The upper parts are variegated with black, yellowish-brown, and 

 white, the feathers being tipped with the latter. The hind part of the rump, 

 the upper tail-coverts, and the tail-feathers, white, transversely barred with 

 brownisb.-black; the tail tipped with white, and having four dark bars on the 

 middle feathers, and seven or eight on the outer webs of the rest. Alula, 

 primary coverts, and primary quills brownish-black, the coverts terminally 

 margined with white; shafts of the primaries about the middle, and part of 

 the inner web towards the base, white; the inner six with a white patch on 

 the outer web towards the base, and margined with white externally; the 

 outer secondary feathers white at the base and margined with the same; the 

 inner dusky, with marginal white triangular spots. A narrow ring round 

 the eye, and a broad longitudinal band on the side of the neck, white; loral 



Vol. V. 28 



