129 



RUDDY PLOVER. 

 CHARADRIUS RUBIDUS. 

 [Plate LXIIL— Fig. 3.] 



Arct. Zool. JVo. 404. — ^Lath. Syn. v. 3, p. 195, JV'o. 2. — Tukt. SijsL p. 415. 



THIS bird is frequently found in company with the Sander- 

 ling, which, except in color, it very much resembles. It is gene- 

 rally seen on the sea coast of New Jersey in May and October, on 

 its way to and from its breeding place in the north. It runs with 

 great activity along the edge of the flowing or retreating waves on 

 the sands, picking up the small bivalve shell fish, which supplies 

 so many multitudes of the Ploveit and Sandpiper tribes. 



I should not be surprised if the present species turn out here- 

 after to be the Sanderling itself, in a diiferent dress. Of many 

 scores which I examined scarce two were alike; in some the 

 plumage of the back was almost plain ; in others the black plumage 

 was just shooting out. This was in the month of October. Natu- 

 ralists, however, have considered it as a separate species; but have 

 given us no further particulars than that " in Hudson^s Bay it is 

 known by the name of Mistchaychekiskaweshish'^^ a piece of in- 

 formation certainly very instructive. 



The Ruddy Plover is eight inches long, and fifteen in extent; 

 the bill is black, an inch long and straight; sides of the neck and 

 whole upper parts speckled largely with white, black and ferrugi- 

 nous ; the feathers being centered with black, tipt with white and 

 edged with ferruginous, giving the bird a very motley appearance; 



* Latham. 



VOL. VII. K k 



