FLUVIALINiE. CHARADRIUS. 
51 
GENUS XC. CHAHADRIUS. SAND-PLOVEP. 
The Sand-Ployers are all of small size, and generally less 
variegated than the Plovers, from which they differ chiefly 
in having the wings and tail more elongated, the neck 
shorter, and the head larger. The bill is generally much 
shorter than the head, straight, rather slender, as broad as 
high, slightly compressed toward the end ; upper mandible 
with the dorsal line straight and slightly decimate for half 
its length, then bulging or arcuate, the nasal groove about 
half its length, the edges slightly inflected toward the end, 
the tip rather obtuse ; lower mandible with the angle mode- 
rate, the dorsal line ascending and a little convex, the sides 
concave at the base, the edges inflected, the tip narrow, but 
rather blunt ; the gape-line straight. Mouth extremely nar- 
row ; palate with two longitudinal ridges, and anteriorly a 
few papillae ; tongue very narrow, deeply channelled above, 
with the tip narrow and thin-edged ; oesophagus narrow ; 
proventriculus oblong ; stomach a roundish compressed giz- 
zard, with thick lateral muscles, radiated tendons, and dense 
longitudinally rugous epithelium ; intestine of moderate 
length and width ; coeca rather short, narrow, cylindrical. 
Nostrils small, linear, pervious, subbasal. Eyes large and 
full, eyelids feathered. Aperture of ear rather large. Legs 
of moderate length, slender ; tibia bare for about a fourth ; 
tarsus of ordinary length, covered with hexagonal scales ; 
toes three, rather short, slender, with numerous scutella, 
marginate, the outer considerably longer than the inner, and 
connected with the third by a basal web ; claws rather short, 
compressed, slightly arched, slender, rather acute. Plumage 
close, rather blended ; feathers oblong or ovate ; wings very 
long, narrow, pointed, of twenty-five quills ; primaries taper- 
ing, the first longest, the rest rapidly diminishing ; outer 
secondaries short, obliquely rounded, inner tapering and ex- 
tremely elongated ; tail rather broad, of moderate length or 
long, rounded or graduated, of twelve feathers, of which the 
two middle are somewhat pointed. 
The Sand-Plovers, as their name implies, chiefly frequent 
the sandy shores of the sea, lakes, and rivers ; but some oc~ 
