RING PLOVER, 
5 
194. CJIARAOniUS SEMIPALMATUS, BONAPARTE. 
TltlNClA nlATICUEA, WILSON. RING PLOVER, 
WILSON, PLATE LIE. FIG. III. 
A BIRD by this name has just been described, under the 
supposition that it was the riiifi; plover in its summer 
dress ; but which, notwithstanding- its great resemblance 
to the present, I now suspect to be a different species. 
Fearful of perpetuating error, and anxious to retract, 
where this may inadvertoiitly have lieeti the case, I 
shall submit to the consideration of the reader the 
reasons on which my present suspicions are founded. 
The present species, or true ring plover, and also the 
former, or light coloured bird, both .arrive on the sea 
coast ot New Jersey late in April. The present kind 
continues to be seen in flocks until late in May, when 
they disappear, on their way farther nortli ; the light 
coloured bird remains during the summer, forms its 
nest III the sand, and generally produces two brood in 
the season. Early in September the present species 
returns in flocks, ws before ; soon after this, the light 
coloured kind go off’ to the south, but the other remain 
month later. European writers inform ns, that 
the ring plover has a sharp twittering note; and this 
ji®S”“^nt agrees exactly with that of the present : the 
®,. ^ “nloured species, on the contrary, has a peculiarly 
so and innsicai note, similar to the tone of a German 
't utters while running along the sand, 
wuu expanded tail and hanging wings, endeavouring 
o ecoy yon from its nest. The present species is 
ever seen to breed here; and, though I have opened 
great numbers of them as late as the 20th of May, the 
Sgs which the females contained were never larger 
than small bird shot; while, at the same time, the light 
coloured kind had every where begun to bay in the 
little cavities which they had dug in the sand on the 
each. These facts being considered, it seems difficult 
