258 AMERICAN RING PLOVER.
sometimes seen hi September along the shores ui' the Ohio and Mississippi.
• At this period ®8f>are now and then observed on ploughed
lands, where they appear to procure different species of: seeds and inserts,
Alpng the whole extent of* our Atlantic shores, they are numerous
attBlfflij season, and great numbers are killed, the flesh of the young
birds especially being juicy and tender.
The flight of this speoies is swift and sustained. They are fond of
associating with other birds of similar habits, and are generally unsus
picious, s» that they are easily approached.. Wheiijon wing, their
notes are sharp, sonorous, and frequently repeated. The young members
of my party were often much amused by witnessing our pointer
chasing, the old birds, whilst thé: latter, as ¡if perfectly aware ,of the superiority
in speed, would seem to cou x him mi. ami never failed to exhaust
him by Hying along the declivities of the rocks up to their summits,
and afterwards plunging downwards to the base, thusMbmimg
great circuits over a limited range. Their food consists of small Crustacea,
mollusca, and the eggs of various marine animals. The old
males are very pugnaeious in the breeding season, and engage in obstinate
conflicts, drooping their wings, and trailing their tail fully spread,
out instjhe manner of some species of (¡rouse on similar occasions.
R I N G PLOVER, TKIXOA IliATicrr.A, Wils, AMER. Oraitli. vol. v:i. p. 65, pi. 59,
fig. .3.
CnA«A»airs SEMIPALMATTTS, Ch. Bonaparte, -Synopsis of Birds of United States,
1 ' p. 296.
AMERICAN RING PLOVER, CHARADRIUS SEMIPALMAÏ-UH, Mùhards. dvd Shcnim.
Fauna. Tior.-Amer. vg^ ji. p. 367-
SEMTPAT.MATEO RING PLOVER, XnttaU, Manual, vol. II. p . 24.
Adult -Mile, l'late CCCXXX. Kig. 1.
Bill1 shorter than the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical, tipper
lmm.Uble with the dorsal line Straight for half its length, then bulging
a little and curving to t h B f e which ÎS rather acute, the sides sloping
at the base, convex towards tlni'end, where the edges are sharp'a&d
direct. 'Éiassil groove: extended along more than'half of the mandible ;
nostrils basil, linear, in the lower part of the membrane, open, and per,
vious. Lower mandible with the angle short, narrow,.Hit rounded,
the sides at the base sloping outwards and flat, the dorsal line: ascending
and slightly convex, the edges sharp and involute towards the tip.
AMERICAN RING PLOVER. 25.9
Head of moderate, size, oblong, rather compressed, the forehead
rounded. Kycs large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, compact.
Wings long." Feet slender, of moderate lensth ; tibia bare a considerable
way- above the jojnt ; tarsus- p moderate length, rather cowprosed,
covered a»-round with sub -hexagonal scales;; toes slender;
the hind » e wanting ; third or middle toe much longer than the. outer,
which exceeds the inner ; all with numerous scuto-lla ; the outer connected
with the- middle toe by a web which extends to the seeond joint
of tlie former, and runs along the cdgc'ol- the latter, forming- a broad
margin, the outer toe also connected with the middle toe by a short
membrane which docs ftt extend more than half-way to the second
joint. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather blunt, that- of
the middle toe having the inner e%e dilated.
1 Plumage; soft and blended ; the f a t h e r s rounded, those of the back
somewhat distinct. Wings long and pointed ; primary quills tapering,
the first longest, the sejffei a little shorter^ the rest rapidly graduated ;
outer secondaries incurved and obliquely emarginato ; the inner tapering
and elongated, one of them reaching to half an inch from the tip of
the longest primary. Tail of moderate length, considerably rounded,
of twelve feathers.
Bill Hack, its basal half rieh orangef " Iris deep hazel. Feet pale
flesh-colour, claws black. Forehead, l. ira I space, and a band passing
below the eye and including the auriculars, black; the rest of the heail
above and the nape, light greyish-brown, tinged with dull olive. A
broad band between the eyes, continuous with a streak over them, a
small band on the lower eyelid, and a ring on the middle of the neck,
' enlarged in front sü'-as to cover the throat, pure white. A broad ring
of black on the lower part of the neck, broader in front. All the lower
parts and the sides of the rump white. The upper parts of the same
I greyish-brown as the head, the scapulars and elongated inner secondaries
more decidedly glossed with olive. Alula, primary coverts, and
primary quills dtlsky, the coverta tipped with white, the outer primaries,
with a portion of the shaft white, the inner with an elongated
patch of white on the Outer web in addition, and the proximal part of
the inner web of the same colour. Secondary quills with a narrow terminal
margin of white, which is much enlarged on (or in some specimens
covers) the two next to the elongated ones, which are externally margined
with brownish-white. Tail pale greyish-brown, brownish black