THE KILDEER PLOVER. 211 



Male, 10, 20. 



Common. Breeds from Texas to the eastern base of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, and in all the central and Atlantic districts to Massachusetts. Fur 

 Countries. 



Adult Male in summer. 



Bill shorter than the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical. Upper mandi- 

 ble with the dorsal line straight for two-thirds of its length, then bulging a 

 little and curving 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 along two-thirds of the mandible, filled with a bare 

 membrane; nostrils basal, linear, in the lower part of the membrane, open and 

 pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long, narrow, but rounded, the 

 sides at the base sloping outwards and flat, the dorsal line ascending and 

 slightly convex, the edges sharp and involute towards the narrow tip. 



Head of moderate size, oblong, rather compressed, the forehead rounded. 

 Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, rather slender. Wings long. 

 Feet long, slender; tibia bare a considerable way above the joint; tarsus 

 rather compressed, covered all round with reticulated hexagonal scales; toes 

 slender; the hind toe wanting; third or middle toe longest, outer toe consi- 

 derably longer than inner, all scutellate above and marginate, the outer con- 

 nected with the middle toe by a membrane as far as the second joint; claws 

 small, compressed, slender, but obtuse at the end, the inner edge of the mid- 

 dle claw slightly dilated. 



Plumage soft and blended; the feathers rounded, those of the back some- 

 what distinct. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering, the first 

 longest, the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; inner secon- 

 daries tapering and elongated, so as nearly to equal the longest primaries. 

 Tail rather long, much rounded or graduated, of twelve rather broad round- 

 ed feathers. 



Bill black. Edges of eyelids bright red; iris dark brown. Feet light 

 greyish-blue, the hind part of the tarsus pale flesh colour. Upper part of the 

 head, the back, the smaller wing-coverts, and the secondary quills, yellow- 

 ish-brown. Lower parts white. A brown bar over the lower part of the 

 forehead, and passing under the eye to the occiput; over this a white band 

 on the forehead, surmounted by a brownish-black band between the eyes; 

 behind the eyes also a short white band, ending in light red. The middle 

 of the neck is encircled with a broad brownish-black collar, and on its lower 

 part anteriorly between the wings is a narrower band of the same colour. 

 Primaries brownish-black, each with a white mark, linear on the outer, 

 enlarging on the inner quills. Secondaries, excepting the inner, white, but 

 most of them with a large patch of blackish-brown towards the end; their 



