368 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



[135.] 2. Charadrius vociferus. (Linn.) Kildeer Plover. 



Genus, Charadrius, Linn. 



Noisy Plover (Charadrius vociferus). Penn. Arot. Zoo!., ii., p. 484, No. 400. 

 Kildeer Plover (Char, vociferus). Wils., vii., p. 73, pi. 59, f. 6. 



Charadrius vociferus. Sab. Frankl. Journ., p. 083, Bonap. Syn., No. 219. Vigors, 

 Birds of Cuba, Zool. Journ., xii., p. 448. 



This Plover arrives on the Saskatchewan plains about the 20th of April ; and 

 at that season frequents the gardens and cultivated fields of the trading-posts 

 with the utmost familiarity, in search of food. It hovers over the head of any 

 one who disturbs it, reiterating a loud, shrill cry, which is supposed to resemble 

 the word kildeer. It is found within the United States the whole year, keeping 

 on the sea-coast during winter. 



DESCRIPTION 



Of a specimen, killed on the Saskatchewan, April 20, 1827- 



Colour. — A band from the rictus, passing over the ears, the upper surface of the head, 

 nape, base of the neck above, fore part of the back, scapulars, lesser wing coverts, and 

 tertiaries, dark hair-brown, the ragged edges of the plumage showing vestiges of rust-coloured 

 borders; posterior part of the back and the tail coverts bright buff-orange. Quills and 

 greater coverts pitch-black, tipped with white ; edge of the wing also white, and a band of 

 the same crosses the middle of the outer webs and inner borders of the quills, becoming much 

 broader on the posterior secondaries. Tail rust-coloured at the base, broadly barred with 

 black towards the end ; the two central pairs of feathers tipped with ferruginous, the lateral 

 ones with white. A sincipital band, prolonged laterally over the eyes, the chin, the throat, 

 and a nuchal ring, the upper part of the breast, and the under plumage, pure white. A 

 frontal band between the eyes, a neck collar, and a pectoral belt, black. Bill black. Legs 

 ochre-yellow. 



Form. — Bill smaller than that of the Golden Plover. Tail graduated, more than an inch 

 longer than the wings. 



In winter the dorsal plumage is mostly edged with brownish-orange. 



Length, total 

 ,, of tail 

 ,, of wing 







Dimensions. 













Inch. 

 11 

 4 

 . 6 



Lin. 



3 

 3 



4 



Length of bill above 

 „ of bill to rictus 

 „ of tarsus 



Inch. 







. 1 



1 



Lin. 

 10 







6 



Length of naked thigh 

 „ of middle toe 

 „ of its nail . 



Inch. 

 

 . 

 



R- 



Lin. 



6 

 10£ 



2 



