AMERICAN RING PLOVER. 221 



American Ring Plover, Charadrius semipalmatus, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer. 



vol. ii. p. 367. 

 Semipalmated Ringed Plover, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 21. 

 American Ringed Plover, Charadrius semipalmatus. Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iv. p. 256; 



vol. v. p. 579. 



Male, 7i, 14. 



From Texas to the Arctic Regions, after passing through the interior, as 

 well as along the Atlantic shores. Breeds in Labrador and the Fur Coun- 

 tries. Many spend the winter in the Floridas. 



Adult Male. 



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

 ble with the dorsal line straight for half its length, then bulging a little and 

 curving to the tip, which is rather acute, the sides sloping at the base, convex 

 towards the end, where the edges are sharp and direct. Nasal groove ex- 

 tended along more than half of the mandible; nostrils basal, linear, in the 

 lower part of the membrane, open, and pervious. Lower mandible with the 

 angle short, narrow, but rounded, the sides at the base sloping outwards and 

 flat, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges sharp and invo- 

 lute towards the tip. 



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

 Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, compact. Wings long. Feet 

 slender, of moderate length; tibia bare a considerable way above the joint; 

 tarsus of moderate length, rather compressed, covered all round with sub- 

 hexagonal scales; toes slender; the hind toe wanting; third or middle toe 

 much longer than the outer, which exceeds the inner; all with numerous 

 scutella; the outer connected with the middle toe by a web, which extends 

 to the second joint of the former and runs along the edge of the latter, 

 forming a broad margin, the outer toe also connected with the middle toe by 

 a short membrane which does not extend more than half-way to the second 

 joint. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather blunt, that of the 

 middle toe having the inner edge 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; outer seconda- 

 ries incurved and obliquely emarginate; the inner tapering and elongated, 

 one of them reaching to half an inch from the tip of the longest primary. 

 Tail of moderate length, considerably rounded, of twelve feathers. 



Bill black, its basal half rich orange. Iris deep hazel. Feet pale flesh- 

 colour, claws black. Forehead, loral space, and a band passing below the 

 eye and including the auriculars, black; the rest of the head above and the 

 nape, light greyish-brown, tinged with dull olive. A broad band between 



Vol. V. 31 



