RING NECK PLOVER. 
363 
giving their stuttering notes, while the females only uttered a brisk whistle. I never found 
Wilson’s Plover much north of Key West during winter, but they migrate along the coast 
early in April, some going as far north as New Jersey k> breed. 
JE3GIALITIS SEMIPALMATUS. 
Pingneck Plover. 
JEgialitis semipalmatus Cab., Journ.; 1856, 425. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Form, robust. Size, not large. Bill, short, not nearly as long as head. Tail, short and rounded. Tertia- 
ries, not nearly reaching the tips of wings. Membrane between toes, large. Sternum, stout, outer marginal indentations, 
slightly deeper than inner. Tongue, not long, fleshy at base, thin, hoimy at extreme tip which is rounded. Sexes, similar. 
Color. Adult. Above, dark ashy-brown, becoming lighter on the tail which is narrowly tipped with white, while the 
outer pair of feathers are entirely of this color and all but these are crossed by abroad band of black. Wings, dark-brown, 
with tips base and lines on inner webs of secondaries, central elongated spots on primaries, and tips of greater coverts, white. 
Forehead and top of head to eye, line below it extending over ear coverts, and broad ring on breast which rapidly narrows 
behind, black. Beneath, white, which extends in a collar back of neck. Crescent on forehead, also white. 
Young. Similar to the adult but the black markings are replaced by some of ashy-brown and every feather above is 
edged with yellowish-white. Bill, black, yellow at base, iris, brown, and legs, yellow, in all stages. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Readily known from all other Plovers by the comparatively short bill and large webs between toes. Distributed in 
summer, from Labrador, northward. Winter’s in the South. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens from Eastern America. Length, 7*0(5; stretch, 14’05; wing, 5’12; tail, 216; bill, 
•55; tarsus, ’90. Longest specimen, 7'50; greatest extent of wing, 15*60; longest wing, 5 - 70; tail, 2’30; bill, ’60; tarsus, 
1-00. Shortest specimen, 6 65; smallest extent of wing, 14’50; shortest wing, 4’55; tail, 2’05; bill, ’50; tarsus, -80. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Eggs, placed in a depression of the soil, four in number, rather pyriform in shape, creamy in color, spotted irregularly 
and plentifully with brown of varying shades. Dimensions from - 90x 1’35 to ’95 x 140. 
HABIT’S. 
The Ringnecks are among the first of the returning shore birds, to find their way 
southward, some appearing early in August, while others continue to come until October, 
when they suddenly disappear toward the South. The first that make their appearance, 
are the young and females and later, the adult males follow. These Plovers have a loud, 
though mellow, whistle, easily distinguished from that of other shore birds. They are fond 
of the beaches on the open sea, where they run nimbly along the sand, avoiding the in¬ 
coming waves with great agility, then following them out, in order to pick up the small 
crustaceans, etc., left by the water. They also visit the pools on the salt marshes, where 
they eat aquatic insects, and I have even taken grasshoppers from their stomachs. I ful¬ 
ly expected to find this species nesting on the Magdalen Islands as they breed plentifully 
on the neighboring coast of Labrador, but was disappointed, and I do not think that they 
even nest there, at least in any numbers. 
2EGIALITIS MELODUS. 
Piping Plover. 
JEgialitis melodus Cab., Journ. 1856, 424. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp Ch. Form, robust. Size, small. Tertiaries, not nearly reaching the tips of the wings. Tail, short and rounded. 
