102 
BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
been observed by Dr. Treichler, of Elizabethtown. Stragglers have 
been taken in the fall, after severe storms from the Atlantic coast, when 
feeding along the shoals and shores of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers, 
by Dr. John W. Detwiller, of Northampton county, and Mr. T. L. Neff 
has found it in Cumberland county. The food of the Piping Plover is 
similar to that of previously mentioned species. 
-fflgialitis wilsonia (Ord.). 
Wilson’s Plover. 
Description. 
“ Bill large and stout, longer than middle toe. 
* ‘A dult male. —Frontal crescent, extending back on each side of the crown to beyond 
the eye, ends of greater wing-coverts, shafts of primaries, and entire lower parts, 
pure white ; crescentric patch covering fore part of the crown, lores, and wide band 
across the jugulum, black ; occiput more or less strongly suffused with oceraceous, 
especially laterally and posteriorly. Upper parts (except as described) uniform 
brownish gray, the remiges (i. e. long wing feathers) darker. 
“Adult female.— Similar to the male, but the black replaced by brownish gray, the 
jugular collar tinged with oceraceous. (The young very similar to female.) Bill 
black ; eyelids grayish; iris brown ; legs and feet pale grayish flesh color. Total 
length about 7.75; extent 16.00; culmen .80 ; tarsus 1.25 ; middle toe .75.”— B. B. and 
B. B. of N. A. 
Habitat. —Coasts of North and South America, from Long Island and Lower Cali¬ 
fornia southward to Brazil and Peru, including the West Indies. Casual to Nova 
Scotia. 
Wilson’s Plover may readily be recognized from either of the two spe¬ 
cies last mentioned, by the rather large head, black, large and heavy 
bill. This species breeds in New Jersey and along the seacoast of some, 
perhaps all, of the south Atlantic states, where, as well as about the 
coasts of the gulf states, it is common, often being found, when migrat¬ 
ing, in small flocks. I have never found this plover in Pennsylvania, 
nor has it ever been seen about Lake Erie by Mr. George B. Sennett. 
The late Judge Libhart, in his ornithological report of Lancaster county, 
says Wilson’s Plover is “ frequent on the beach (Susquehanna) in au¬ 
tumn.” A few stragglers have been captured about some of our larger 
rivers during migrations, and reported to me as follows: James Galen 
and Dr. A. C. Treichler, both of Lancaster county; Hon. Gerard C. 
Brown, York county; W. W. Stoey, Dauphin county; Dr. John W. Det¬ 
willer, Northampton county, and Mr. T. L. Neff, of Carlisle, Cumberland 
county. Their food is said to consist almost entirely of minute shell¬ 
fish, worms and small insects. 
