RING PLOVER. 
71 
the lower parts pure white ; fore part of the crown black ; band 
from the upper mandible, covering the aiiriculars, also black ; 
back, scapulars and wing-coverts of a brownish ash color ; wing 
quills dusky black, marked with an oval spot of white about the 
middle of each ; tail olive, deepening into black, and tipt with 
white ; legs dull yellow; eye dark hazel, eyelids yellow. 
This bird is said to make no nest, but to lay four eggs of a 
pale ash color spotted with black, which she deposites on the 
ground.* The eggs of the light-colored species formerly de- 
scribed, are of a pale cream color, marked with small round dots 
of black, as if done with a pen. 
After writing the above I had an opportunity of examining, 
comparatively, two or three specimens of the European Ring Plover, 
which are in Mr. Peale’s collection. These birds corresponded 
with the subject of this article, except in the feet, and here 1 found 
a difference which is worthy of note. The outer toes of both the 
European and the American birds, were united to the middle ones 
by a membrane of an equal size ; but the inner toes of the latter 
were also united by a smaller web, while those of the former were 
divided to their origin. The naturalists of Europe state that the in- 
ner toes of their species are thus divided. Here then is a diversity, 
which, if constant, would constitute a specific difference. The bot- 
toms of the toes of the present are broad as in the Sanderling. 
The Plover given in our fifth volume, under the name of hia~ 
ticula, has its inner toes divided to their origin ; and the web of the 
outer toes is much smaller than that of the present article. All my 
doubts on the subject of our two Plovers being now removed, I shall 
take the liberty of naming that of the fifth volume the Piping Plo- 
ver, Charadriiis melodiis. 
* Bewick. 
