BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. 
201 
Male, Ilf, 25. 
From Texas along the coast to the northern extremity of the Continent. 
Breeds from Virginia northward. Not abundant. 
Adult Male in summer. 
Bill as long as the head, straight, somewhat compressed, stout. Upper 
mandible with the dorsal line straight and slightly sloping for more than 
half its length, then bulging a little and arched to the tip, which is rather 
acute, the sides flat and sloping at the base, convex towards the end, where 
the edges are sharp and inelinate. Nasal groove extended to a little more 
than half the length of the mandible ; nostrils sub-basal, linear, open and 
pervious. Lower mandible with the angle rather long and narrow, the 
sides at the base erect and nearly flat, the dorsal line ascending and slightly 
convex, the edges sharp and involute towards the narrow tip. 
Head of moderate size, roundish, the forehead much rounded. Eyes large. 
Neck rather short. Body ovate, rather full. Feet rather long, slender ; 
tibia bare for a considerable space ; tarsus rather compressed, covered all 
- round with reticulated hexagonal scales ; toes of moderate length, slender ; 
the first extremely diminutive, with an equally minute claw ; the second 
shorter than the fourth, which is much exceeded by the third ; the anterioi 
toes are rather broadly marginate, the web between the third and fourth 
extending to the second joint of the latter, that between it and the second 
smaller. Claws small, compressed, slightly arched, acute. 
Plumage soft, blended, the feathers broad and rounded. Wings long and 
pointed, primary quills tapering, the first longest, the second a quarter of 
an inch shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries short, broad, 
obliquely rounded ; the inner tapering and elongated. Tail rather short, 
slightly rounded, of twelve rounded feathers. 
Bill and claws black. Iris and feet greyish-black. Forehead yellowish-, 
white, the rest of the head and the hind neck greyish-white, spotted with 
dusky. The upper parts are variegated with black, yellowish-brown, and 
white, the feathers being tipped with the latter. The hind part of the rump, 
the upper tail-coverts, and the tail-feathers, white, transversely barred with 
brownish-black ; the tail tipped with white, and having four dark bars on the 
middle feathers, and seven or eight on the outer webs of the rest. Alula, 
primary coverts, and primary quills brownish-black, the coverts terminally 
margined with white ; shafts of the primaries about the middle, and part of 
the inner web towards the base, white ; the inner six Avith a white patch on 
the outer web towards the base, and margined with white externally ; the 
outer secondary feathers white at the base and margined with the same ; the 
inner dusky, with marginal white triangular spots. A narrow ring round 
the eye, and a broad longitudinal baud on the side of the neck, white ; loral 
Vol. V. 28 
