BAY SNIPE. 
No. 4. Piping Plover — Charadrius Melodius .— Vulgo, 'Beach 
Bird. 
Ring Plover, Charadrius hiaticula, Wils. Amer. Orn. Charadrius melodius, 
Ord. Piping Ring Plover, Nutt. Mann. Piping Plover, Charadrius melo¬ 
dius, Aud. Orn. Biog. 
“ Specific Character. —Bill shorter than the head ; at base 
orange color, toward the end black; fore-neck and cheeks pure 
white; bordered above with black ; rest part of the head very 
pale brown. Adult male with the bill short, orange at the 
base, anterior to the nostrils black; forehead white, with a band 
of black crossing directly above ; upper part of the head, hind- 
neck, back, scapulars, and wing coverts pale-brown; rump 
white, the central feathers tinged with brown; tail brown, white 
at base, tipped with the same; lateral feathers pure white—the 
next with a spot of blackish-brown near the end; upper tail 
coverts white ; primaries brown; a large portion of the inner 
webs white; a spot of the same on the outer webs of the inner 
quills; secondaries white, with a large spot of brown toward 
the ends; lower surface of the wings white; a black band 
round the lower part of the neck, broadest on the sides where 
it terminates; entire lower plumage white. Female similar, 
with the band on the neck brown. Length seven inches, wing 
four and a half. 
“ To the south shore of Long Island the Piping Plover is com¬ 
mon. On the north side of the bay 1 have seldom seen it. It 
seems to prefer the sandy beaches and shoals, where it collects 
small bivalve shells which lie exposed at low water. I have 
also observed it along the surf, feeding on the deposite of the 
receding wave. It breeds here, making no nest, other than a 
slight excavation in the sand; the eggs, four in number, are of 
a pale-yellowish or cream-color, speckled with brownish-black. 
“ When pursued, it runs rapidly; if closely followed, it takes 
wing, uttering a mellow note—though at such times its voice is 
more shrill than the soft tones it makes when not disturbed. In 
