PLOVERS 
105 
forehead, collar, and under parts white. Adult female in summer : duller 
black. Adults in winter: black replaced by buffy gray. Young: like 
winter adult, but with buffy edgings to feathers of back. Length : 6.25- 
7.50, wing 4.50-4.80, bill .45-50. 
Distribution. — Mississippi valley and north to Lake Winnipeg, west to 
Cheyenne, Wyoming, east occasionally to the Atlantic ; breeding from 
Illinois and Nebraska northward, and wintering on the Gulf coast and 
southward. 
278. .ZEgialitis nivosa Cass. Snowy Plover. 
Bill longer than middle toe without claw, slender, and entirely black. 
Chest band reduced to a spot at each side of breast. Adults in summer: 
crown and back pale buffy gray ; face and under parts white; wide bar 
across front of crown, ear patch, and spot at side of chest black. Adults 
in winter: black replaced by dusky gray. Young: similar to winter 
adults, but with feathers of back tipped with white. Length : 6.25-7.00, 
wing 4.20-4.30, bill about .60, tarsus .90-1.05. 
Distribution. — Western United States, east to western Nebraska, Kan¬ 
sas, and Texas; south in winter to Chili; breeding over most of its United 
States range. 
Nest. — A slight depression in the sand. Eggs: 3, dull light buff, 
spotted with dark brown and black. 
On the shores of Salt Lake while the great white gulls disport 
themselves in the air and on the water, the plump little snowy plover 
is trotting along the beach gathering his food as he goes. If fright¬ 
ened, he drops into the deep footprint of a horse and is lost to view, 
so well does his back match the dull gray surface. Though so small, 
he is one of the most attractive bits of life in his big landscapes. 
Subgenus Ochthodromus. 
280. iEgialitis wilsonia ( Ord ). Wilson Plover. 
Much smaller than the killdeer, with but one black band across chest 
and without yellow on rump or upper tail coverts. Adult male: upper 
parts brownish gray, with black across front of crown, lores, and chest; 
forehead, superciliary line, collar, and rest of under parts white. Adult 
female: black of male replaced by brownish gray, more or less tinged 
with rusty. Young: similar to female, but feathers of upper parts mar¬ 
gined with grayish. Length: 7.50-7.90, wing 4.50, bill .80, tarsus 1.25. 
Bemarks. — The Wilson plover may be distinguished from the other 
small plovers by its much longer bill. 
Distribution. — Coasts and islands from southern California and Long 
Island south to Brazil and Peru. Casual to Nova Scotia. 
Subgenus Podasocys. 
281. ^El gialitis montana (Towns.). Mountain Plover. 
Bill slender; tail less than half as long as wing ; chest without band ; 
middle and inner toes not connected by basal web. Adults 
in summer: upper parts plain grayish or buffy brown ; 
under parts white or buffy; forehead and line over eye 
white; front edge of crown and streak in front of eye, 
black. Adults in winter: without pure white or black 
markings, and with more of buffy. Young : like winter 
Fig. 122. adults but still more buffy; feathers of upper parts 
