PLOVERS. 171

whitish ; upper tail—eorerts barred with butl'y and black ; tail brownish gray, edged with bull')’ and barred with black; primaries t‘useous wit/mu! burr; under parts huil'y or whitish, the br ~t streaked, the sides and under wing— co\‘erts barred with black I... 13230; W. tut”; Tan, 1'75; 1%., 2'40.

[fang/w. Breeds in the arctic regions and migrates southward, chiefly through the interior. to Patagonia.

Long Island, rare T. \'., Sept.

[Ll/(Is, three to four, pale olive-greenish. olive, or olive—brmvnish, dis— tinctly spotted, chiefly on the larger end, with deep or dark brown, 2'04 x143 (Ridgw).

This Curlew is far more common in the interior than on the At- lantic coast. It is more of a field bird than either of the two pre- ceding species, and frequents the dry uplands to feed on seeds and insects. Mr. G. H. Maekay, in his biog ‘aphy of this species,* writes: “Most of their habits closely resemble those of the Golden Plover. In migration they fly in much the same manner, with extended and broadside and triangular lines and clusters similar to those of Ducks and Geese at such times. They usually fly low after landing, sweeping slowly over the ground, apparently looking it over, gene 'ally standing motionless for quite a while after alighting, which, owing to their gene ‘al color approximating so closely to the withered grass, renders it ditlicult at times to perceive them. . . . The only note I ever heard them make is a kind of squeak, very much like one of the cries of \Vilson’s Tern (iS'tcrnw hirundo), only finer in tone.”

The \VnumuEL (2/17. .Yumm/Im plump/Isl, an Old-World species. is of accidental oeeurrenee in Greenland.

FAMILY CHARADRIIDAE. PLOVERS.

The one hundred species contained in this fainily are. as a whole. of less boreal distribution than the Snipes, and during the nesting season are distributed throughout the world. Only eight Species are found in North Ameri‘: . Their habits in a general way resemble those of the true Snipes, but their much shorter, stouter bills are not fitted for probing, and they obtain their food from the surface. Probably for this reason several species are as frequently found on the uplands as

near the shores. KEY TO THE SPECIES. I. Toes three.

A. Baek spotted or streaked with black and white, ruf'ons, or golden yellow. 272. AM. Gown-2x Provan. B. Back ash}: gray. brown, or brownish gray. a. Rump rut'ous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273. KILLDEER. l». Rump not rut'ous.

* The Auk. vol. ix, 1892. pp. 16—21.