GIlALLiE. 
57 
V 
+ 
Length of inner toe, fully 1 inch. 
„ of hallux, rudimentary. 
This plover is very common on the borders of mangrove 
swamps fronting the sea, flying in small flocks, and perching 
upon stones, or on the branches of Avicennice, which frequently 
grow out very far into the sea. They are generally excessively 
fat, and are very good eating. 
Gen. Charadrius. 
Charadrius virginicus. 
^ Pluvialis Tirginicus (Borkh.). 
Above, rich brown, the feathers being tipped and partially 
barred with ochre-yellow; these markings on the tail and wings are 
yellowish white. 
Below, yellowish white, irregularly and sparingly marked with 
dusky spots ; throat speckled with longitudinal marks of the same 
colour. 
Beak and legs, hbm-hlack. 
The general appearance of the bird is much like that of the 
common golden plover in the winter plumage. 
Length, 1 Finches. 
of bill, from gape, 1 inch 1 Ihie. 
„ front, 1 1 lines, 
of wings, 6 inches 2 lines, 
of tail, 2 inches 8 lines, 
of thigh, 2 inches 8 lines, 
of tarsus, 1 inch 7 lines, 
of middle toe, 1 inch 2 lines, 
of outer toe, 11 lines, 
of inner toe, 10| lines. 
Small flocks of these plovers frequent the grassy land on the 
plains ; they are very wary, generally feeding on rather elevated 
banks, and almost always rising out of shot. The stomach of 
the specimen, from which the above description is taken, was 
full of grasshoppers. 
Charadrius alexandrinus (Linn.). ^ 
Above, back and wings light dun brown, with the edges of the 
feathers very pale ; tail-covers and centre feathers clear browm ; 
outer tail feathers white ; front, from the beak to the space between 
the eyes, white ;. a black streak extends on each side of the head 
from the nostril to the eye, and thence over the ears to the hind 
cantiaiius (Lath.) 
