PIPING PLOVER. 
81 
white, the next is also white, and with a single spot of black, 
which on the third extends much more, and still more on the 
fourth, and fifth, till the last is merely terminated with white, the 
middle ones being wholly dusky from the white of the base. The 
feet are greenish yellow tinged with orange, and the nails black. 
Those authors who describe the autumnal plumage as much 
darker, are still labouring under the erroneous opinion which 
they had rejected, of this being the same with the C. semipalincttus. 
On the contrary, it is if anything still paler at that season, and 
considerably resembles that of the young birds, which are distin¬ 
guished by the absence of the neck ring and sincipital crescent, 
and the bill being entirely blackish. 
As will appear by referring to Wilson’s two articles on the 
Ring Plovers, this species is commonly met with during the whole 
summer along the sandy coasts of the United States, on the 
approach of winter retiring south: it lays in the month of July on 
the sandy beach, three or four eggs, very large for the bird, of an 
obscure clay colour, all sprinkled with numerous reddish spots. 
It runs rapidly, holding the wings half expanded; and utters a 
very soft and mellow cry. 
VOL. iv.—x 
