PIPING PLOVER. 467 
Virginicus (or marmoratus) ; and among the four-toed the 
Kuropeo-Asiatic bird C. gregarius, and the cosmopolite (. 
Flelveticus. 2. Aigialitis, Boie, or the ring-plovers, which have 
a broad white collar around the neck. This is the more 
numerous in species, and the present belongs to it: it may 
form two sections, one for the semipalmated ring-plovers, 
whose toes are all connected at base by a membrane, and the 
other for this and the remaining ring-plovers, in which the 
inner toe is separated down to the base. As for the armed 
or spur-winged plovers, as well as the wattled species, all I 
have examined were perfectly similar to the armed and wattled 
lapwing, and they constitute in my arrangement a very 
natural subgenus under the name of MHoplopterus, which 
group, like Plwvialis, may be sectioned into those with three 
and those with four toes. This group of Hoplopterus, both 
by its tarsus and wings, takes place under my genus Vanellus, 
and differs subgenerically from the typical species merely by 
its longer legs, and hind toe less developed, or often wanting. 
Pluvianus, Vieillot, distinguished by a stouter bill, I never 
have examined, but have no doubt that it will find its place 
in my genus Vanellus, where it may be united to my three- 
toed Hoploptert, or possibly become a subgenus by itself: 
Both the three-toed and four-toed species that form my 
subgenus Charadrius, and are so easily known by their greater 
size and want of a collar, live in large damp meadows, or open 
and muddy champaign countries. ‘They hardly ever alight 
on the beach, or even accidentally on river shores. During 
the nuptial season the males assume a brighter vesture. ‘They 
do not breed in the temperate climates of Europe or North 
America, but only show themselves there in autumn and 
winter. heir flesh is exquisite food. 
The ring-plovers, on the contrary, are shore birds in their 
habits, and may be known by their diminutive size and broad 
white collar. They frequent invariably the banks of rivers 
and sandy sea-beaches, and it is by accident if they are seen 
at a distance from their favourite element. ‘Their plumage 
