Both the three*toe(J arid four-toed spteotes thatform mysubgeüus
Gharaâiius, and are sd-hasily known by their gfëater ^ize a'ncl Svant
öf à collar, lire in large d a r f|| meadodrs/ h t open ah4 mjiddy
{ champaign countries.*-. They hardly e te r ‘alight on the beach, or
■even accidentally on riv©FshOres..> During -the nuptiaiseasdn the
l^ a le s assMte a brighter'vesture-. They do ndb hlfeed IhW
tem p e ra te climatjfeslpf Europe d r North America* but oïây-show
thfemsedve’sf-thére in autumn and winter. Their flesli is exquisite
. foOtK
The Ring-Plovers on the contrary are shore birds'- in -their
habits, and> may be known by their diminutive, éïfcó- and tbrQajl
white-.collar.'' They frequênt invariably the hanks of rivers«and
sapdy sea benches', and it is by accident if they are seen at a dis--
tense -fromrJtheir 'favourite 'element.- • Their plumage does not
lïndergï^ ektreme changes, and merely from darker to lighter!
Several species breed- in our climates, and their flesh fe 'harffly
jjssculeftt. ■ .Although not marked by any striking physical cha-
cue,ter, we regard the extensive group Ægialitis as a*very. natural •
one : .it h^s .numerous-species in every part d f -our globe." The
three European are modelled precisely after the'same typea's the
present species, vthile the three other North American.hâVeeaeh
a strong sdistiiictive character peculiar to itself : in Smak.*
palmated it:*s thé Wéhbed tods, in the Wilson’s the powerful and -
a ^ te hill, and in thfe Eildeer its large stature and oddly ydlóured
wedge-shaped taalii^.
In all dur Ployed the bill is shorter than the head, mther,.
slender, straight,y*eylindrieal, depressed* at*'ha%e",\ obtuse; arid
somewhat turgid at* tip the upper mandible is longitudinally
fu rrow ^ two-thirds of its length,-, the lower is shorter* f a remârk-
able jeharaeteR eonsrsts in the .small opening-of. the’ bill, which j«
^ p d ly cleft beyond the origin of th e feathery, ■'■■■ This .peculiarity
afford! an excelleÉt means of distinguishing them from the
(Mdicn&nü,, ifr which ithe gape’ ö&tènds t© Ijeneath the ©yhafe The
nostrils are hasalfdateral^plaoed ïnjsthè fyp1 row,*and weaver ed-Ja y a
memhimnev .te av iti^ ^ ^ ij a narrow longitudinal * downing &i- the
tongue is,'entire/ ohttSely lanceolate, channelled' somewhat abové;
eonvgx beneath. ‘ The head'ls large in proportion to thehodyi and
the oyés' la’rge Wen-fOiatÄ'Ä head : the forehead is prominent an,A
the fäoe^holly^feathdsed^ The fëetare either three or four-toed,
-with the .hitid .the exceedingly »mall antruaS-sedifrom the ground :
thè .naèed part of the tibia is moderate htfee tarsi ar^longer than
.the mi.ddl'fe* the and ‘reticulated; tlfè toesifecutéJ^§i!té,ï.margiaed by a
•narrow .'sejuamUlos'e ‘‘mêmbrane: die fniddle tote is longest and
coi^^fcedto^.thé* Älter, nt*least td* the "first joint* by a membrane.;*
that halte the inner toe (deft there are traces
of- fflé membrane, which is so mu5h developed*-in the Semipal-
matefd,'Ring-Plover : the*nails are compressed,'- owryed,- and acute.
The.wing!ffire elongated, acute, and.^tuberGulate: thekfast primary
i'sti longest and after the seteóiid -they decrease rapidl^ ^ thus
presenting, a most useful mark for discriminating between this and
. the kindled*: genus• Vanellus, which- has obtuse wngs, the third
primary being the -longfestl and the others" decreasing gradually.
.'Ehe tail-**®* finore or less rotfnded,,-always composed of*twelvë’
'$Mhers,grounded ór lanceolate--** The plumagesof the under parts
fesofti thtef'fbaÄers being* numerov^^wafde, rather dense In the
centre, wijth-tbe-barbs fathers loose, and well furnished with down
at :fe$sê‘l \lh^^^nfaget.of $ffe upper parts'is rathèr dense, and the
feathers , tnofé^Or„dê!t^i'^nded at «the ■ tips’:Sj.the scapularjfes ate
lbtïgy at>pie! tips attenuated midi very flexible.' In most of 'thé
species the males and fe ttles. grei^Jke, the young somewhat
difFereti^fra^i i them. :k T fe y<cdfer>iil't generally twi©© iin the year?
when the cöjpurs; of .their plumage undergo sótti© ©häng^s». s •,
The PIo.yefs;are.aihthoré,oi; less; g ro g a ^ ls in- disposition: theif
haunts are' eithehrii^ädoa^, ^,*tli^Lstó tltlfc Movers, or the s©a