006 THE PIPING PLOVER. 



with the middle by a short membrane; claws small, compressed, obtuse, the 

 rather blunt inner edge of the middle claw a little dilated. 



Plumage soft and blended; the feathers rounded, those on 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 of moderate length, slightly rounded, of twelve rather narrow feathers, 

 which taper a little towards their rounded extremities. 



Bill orange in its basal half, the rest black. Iris reddish-brown; margins 

 of eyelids orange. Feet brownish-yellow; claws dusky. Forehead, sides of 

 the face, throat, and the whole under parts, pure white. Upper parts pale 

 brownish-grey. A black band across the upper part of the forehead, another 

 surrounds the lower part of the neck, broad on the sides, but narrow above 

 and below, where it is formed merely by the tips of some of the feathers. 

 Above this is a white band over the hind neck, also very narrow above. 

 Primaries dusky, each with a large white patch on a portion of the outer, and 

 on the greater part of the inner web; secondaries of a lighter brown, white 

 on the inner webs, some of those nearest the body entirely white; the five 

 innermost like the back; most of the quills are more or less tipped with 

 white, the primary and secondary coverts more distinctly so. The tail- 

 feathers may be described as white; the second has a brown spot on the inner 

 web towards the end, the third a larger spot or band on both webs, and the 

 colour enlarges on the rest, until the middle feathers are nearly all dusky- 

 brown. 



Length to end of tail 1\ inches, to end of claws 7, to end of wings 6|; 

 extent of wings 15?,; wing from flexure 4^; tail 2^; bill along the back -|, 

 along the edge of lower mandible ^; tarsus y| ; middle toe £§, its claw -f-^. 

 Weight 3 oz. 



Female in summer. 



The female is considerably smaller, but resembles the male in colouring, 

 only the dark bands on the forehead and neck are narrower, and of a dusky- 

 brown tint. 



Length to end of tail 7 inches, extent of wings 14^. 



The young, previous to their first moult, have the bill black, the feet 

 flesh-coloured, with dusky claws. The colours of the plumage are nearly 

 the same as in the adult, but there is no dark band on the forehead, and that 

 on the lower neck is merely indicated by a brownish-grey patch on each 

 side. The neck is surrounded by a collar of downy white feathers, and the 

 tips and margins of the feathers of the head and back are pale ochre. 



In this species the upper mandible is more concave than in any of the 

 preceding; but the structure of the mouth is similar. Its width is 4 



