GRALLATORES. 



367 



[134.] 1. Charadrius semipalmatus. (Bonap.) American Ring Plover. 



Genus, Charadrius, Linn. 



Ring Plover (Trinya hiaticula). Wils., vii., p. 65, pi. 59, f. 3. 



Charadrius hiaticula. Sab., Frankl. Journ., p. 684, Richards. Append. Parry's 



Second Voy., p. 351, No. 11* 

 Charadrius semipalmatus. Bonap. Syn., No. 210. 

 Keesquaw-the-napaesees, Cree Indians. No. 26, Huds. Bay Mtjs. 



This small Plover abounds in Arctic America during the summer, where it 

 breeds in similar situations to the Golden Plover. Mr. Hutchins reports that 

 its eggs, generally four, are dark coloured, spotted with black ; and the natives 

 say that, on the approach of stormy weather, this Plover makes a chirruping 

 noise, and claps its wings. After quitting the fur-countries, it halts about a 

 month on the shores of New Jersey, and then proceeds farther south. 



DESCRIPTION 



Of a male, killed, July 26, 1822, on Hayes River, lat. 57° N. 



Colour. — Upper plumage hair-brown ; broad sincipital band, line encircling the base of 

 the bill above, crossing the lores, and spreading over the auriculars f, ring round the base of 

 the neck, which dilates on the breast, and ends of the quills and tail, black. Forehead, chin, 

 throat, ring encircling the neck, tips of the greater coverts, middles of the quill shafts, mar- 

 ginal tips and part of the inner webs of the lesser quills, stripes on the outer webs of one or 

 two of the posterior secondaries, whole of the exterior tail feather, tips of the three adjoining 

 pairs, and all the under plumage, white. Bill orange, tipped with black. Orbits yellow. 

 Irides brown. Legs soiled orange. 



Form. — Bill typical. Tip of the tongue thin and rounded. Wings a little shorter than 

 the tail, which is slightly rounded. Toes connected bythickish webs, that include two pha- 

 langes of the outer toe and one of the inner one: margins of the toes thickened. (In Ch. 

 pluvialis and vociferus the first joint only of the outer toe is united by a web to the middle 

 one, the inner toe being free.) 









Dimensions. 















Inch. 



Lin. 





Inch. 



Lin. 





Inch. 



Lin. 



Length, total . 



. 7 







Length of tarsus 







11 



Length of exterior web 



. 



2j 



,, of tail 



2 



6 



„ of naked thigh 



. 



6£ 



,, of inner web 







u 



,, of wing 



. 4 



6 



,, of middle toe . 



. 



7 



Extent of wing . 



14 







,, of bill above 



. 



6 



,, of middle nail 







2 









., of bill to rictus 



. 



6* 









Weight, li§ oz. 







— R. 



* The resemblance which this bird bears to the Greater-ringed Plover of Europe is very great ; and following 

 Temminck, who quotes Wilson's figure (pi. 59) as an exact representation of the European bird, I referred it to that 

 species in the Appendix to Sir Edward Parry's Second Voyage. The Prince of Musignano has since pointed out its 

 specific characters. — R. 



•f According to the Prince of Musignano, the black colour of the sincipital band and the auriculars is confined to 

 the adult. 



