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 Ring Plover.
Snowy Plover. 275. Ring Plover. Ægialitis hiaticula. Buffy. Range.--A European bird that breeds abundantly in Greenland. It nests in great numbers on the banks of streams and in fields, laying its eggs in hollows on the ground, generally without any lining. Their three or four eggs are practically not distinguishable from those of the Semipalmated Plover, but larger; size, 1.40 x 1.00. The bird, too, is similar, but the toes are not palmated, and the black breast band is wider. 276. Little Ringed Plover. Ægialitis dubia. An Old World species, accidentally occurring on the Pacific coast. Like the last species, but smaller. The eggs, too, are smaller; size 1.20 x .85. 277. Piping Plover. Ægialitis meloda. Clay Color. Range.--Eastern North America, chiefly along the Atlantic coast, breeding from the Carolinas north to Newfoundland. A handsome little bird, with a black crescent on each side of neck, a small black patch on top of the head, and without any black on the lores or ear coverts. It is the lightest colored of any of the eastern Plovers. Length, 7 inches. Young, similar, but the black replaced by grayish, as is the case with the last species. This species, apparently, never could be classed as abundant and of late years, it is becoming rather rare along our Atlantic coast; this is probably more due to the building of summer resorts and homes along their former breeding grounds than to hunters. They are rather more shy than the last species, but will usually attempt to escape by running along the beach or by hiding, rather than by flight. Owing to their light colors it is very difficult to see them at any distance. They lay their eggs upon the sandy beaches in slight, and generally unlined, hollows. The eggs have a pale clay colored ground and are sparsely specked with small black dots. Size 1.25 x 1.00.
Page 167 278. Snowy Plover. Ægialitis nivosa. Range.--Breeds along the Pacific coast of the United States, and from Texas to Manitoba in the interior. Winters on the California coast and south to Chili. Pale buff. Snowy Plovers are very much like the Piping, but are smaller (length 6.5 inches), have a longer and more slender bill, and have a small black patch on the side of head. It is the palest colored of the Plovers. Large numbers of them nest along the Pacific coast and in Texas; north of Texas, in the interior, they are locally distributed. The eggs are pale clay color, marked with small scratchy dots of black. Size 1.20 x .90. Data.--Newport Beach, California, May 1, 1897. Nest a hollow in the sand, a short distance above high water; lined with broken shell. Collector, Evan Davis. 279. Mongolian Plover. Ægialitis mongola. An inhabitant of the Old World, awarded a place in our avifauna because of its accidental occurrence at Alaska.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER AND NEST.



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 Wilson's Plover.
Mountain Plover. 280. Wilson's Plover. Octhodromus wilsonius. Range.--An abundant breeding species on the Gulf coast, coast of Lower California, and on the Atlantic coast north to Virginia, and casually farther. Olive gray. A common Plover, which may be distinguished from others of the genus by its comparatively large heavy black bill, and the single broad black band across the breast, and not extending around the back of the neck. They nest on pebbly "shingle" or in the marsh, back of the beaches. Their eggs are an olive gray color and are spotted and scratched with blackish brown, with some fainter markings of gray. Size 1.40 x 1.05. Data.--Corpus Christi, Texas, May 10, 1899. 4 eggs laid on the ground among drifted grass on a salt marsh near town. Collector, Frank B. Armstrong. 281. Mountain Plover. Podasocys montanus. Brownish gray. Range.--Plains and prairies of western North America, breeding from the central portions north to Manitoba, and wintering in California and southward. A very peculiar species, inhabiting even the driest portions of the western prairies. It is 9 inches in length, and has a plumage of a pale buffy tone. It seems to be less aquatic than any other American Plover and is rarely found in the vicinity of bodies of water. It nests on the ground anywhere on the prairie, laying its eggs in a slight hollow. The eggs are brownish gray in color and are spotted and blotched with blackish brown. Data.--Morgan county, Colorado, May 7, 1902. Nest a slight hollow on the ground, near a large cactus bed and close to a water hole. No lining to nest. Collector, Glenn S. White.
Page 169 SURF BIRDS AND TURNSTONES. Family APHRIZIDÆ Turnstone. 282. Surf Bird. Aphriza virgata. Creamy. This species, which is found on the Pacific coast from Alaska to Chili, seems to be the connecting link between the plovers and the Turnstones, having the habits of the latter combined with the bill of the former. Its nest and eggs are not known to have been yet discovered. 283. Turnstone. Arenaria interpres. Range.--The distribution of this species, which is grayer above than the following, is supposed to be confined, in America, to the extreme north from Greenland to Alaska. Its habits and eggs are precisely like the next. 283a. Ruddy Turnstone. Arenaria interpres morinella. Range.--Breeds in the Arctic regions, and migrates through all parts of the United States, south to the southern parts of South America. This species has the upperparts variegated with reddish brown, black and white; the underparts are pure white, except for a black patch on the throat, branching upward to the eye and back to the sides of the breast. It has a peculiar, slightly up-turned bill, which is used, as their name implies, for turning over pebbles and stones in their search for food. They nest commonly in northern Labrador, about Hudson Bay and in Alaska, laying their eggs in scantily lined hollows on the ground, near water. The eggs are very peculiar and beautiful, having a light grayish or cream color ground, peculiarly marbled with many shades of brown and lilac. Size 1.65 × 1.10. Data.--Mackenzie River, Arctic America, June 28, 1900. Four eggs in a grass lined depression in the sand.



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 284. Black Turnstone. Arenaria melanocephala. Grayish. Range.--Pacific coast of North America, breeding from British Columbia northward, and wintering south to Lower California. This species, which has the form and habits of the preceding, is blackish above and on the breast; the rump and the base of the tail are white, being separated from each other by the black tail coverts. Their nesting habits are in no wise different from those of the common turnstone. The eggs are similar, but the markings are not so strikingly arranged. Size 1.60 × 1.10. Data.--Kutlik, Alaska, June 21, 1898. Nest simply a depression in the sand on the sea beach.
OYSTER-CATCHERS. Family HÆMATOPODIDÆ 285. European Oyster-catcher. Hæmatopus frazari. This European species is very similar to the American one which follows. It casually occurs in Greenland. American Oyster-catcher. 286. Oyster-catcher. Hæmatopus palliatus. Range.--Breeds on the coast of the South Atlantic States and Lower California and winters south to Patagonia. Oyster-catchers are Buff. large, heavy-bodied birds, with stocky red legs and long, stout red bills. The present species has the whole upper parts and entire head and neck, blackish; underparts and ends of secondaries, white; length, 19 inches. They are abundant breeding birds on the sandy beaches of the South Atlantic States, and casually wander north to Nova Scotia. They lay their two or three eggs on the ground in slight hollows scooped out of the sand. The eggs are of a buffy or brownish buff color, and are irregularly spotted with blackish brown, with subdued markings of lavender. Size 2.20 × 1.50. Data.--Sandy Point, S. C., May 12, 1902. Three eggs on the sand just above high water mark; nest a mere depression on a small "sand dune" lined with pieces of shells.
Page 171 287--286.1. 286.1. Frazar's Oyster-catcher. Hæmatopus bachmani. Brownish buff. Range.--Lower California. This species is darker on the back than the preceding, and the breast is mottled with dusky. Bill very long, heavy, compressed, and thin and chisel-like at the tip. Bill and eyes red; legs flesh color; under parts white, and a white wing bar. These are large, awkward looking birds. It is not an uncommon wader in its somewhat restricted range. Its nesting habits are the same as those of the preceding one, but the markings are generally more sharply defined. The one figured is from a set in the collection of Mr. C. W. Crandall. 287. Black Oyster-catcher. Hæmatopus bachmani. Olive buff. Range.--Pacific coast of North America from Lower California north to Alaska. This species is the same size as the Oyster-catcher, but the plumage is entirely black both above and below. They are found upon the rocky coasts and islands, more frequently than upon sandy beaches. Their eggs are laid upon bare rocks or pebbles with no attempt at lining for the nest. The eggs are an olive buff in color, spotted and blotched with brownish black. Size 2.20 × 1.55. Breeding throughout the Aleutian Islands, British Columbia and south to Lower California. Three or four eggs are laid.





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 JACANAS. Family JACANIDÆ Mexican Jacana. 288. Mexican Jacana. Jacana spinosa. Range.--Tropical America, north in summer to the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and casually to Florida. Yellowish olive. This interesting species has most of its structural characters similar to the Plovers, but has more the appearance and habits of the Rails. They are about eight inches long, the head and neck are black, the body chestnut, and the wings largely greenish yellow. They have long legs, long toes and extremely long toe nails, a scaly leaf on the forehead, and a sharp spur on the shoulder of the wing. Owing to their long toes and nails, they are enabled to walk over floating weeds and rubbish that would sink beneath their weight, otherwise. They build their nests on these little floating islands in the marsh; they are also sometimes made of weeds and trash on floating lily pads. They lay from three to five eggs of a yellowish olive color, curiously scrawled with brown and black. Size 1.22 × .95. Data.--Tampico, Mexico, June 3, 1900. Three eggs. Nest of weeds and drift on lily leaf floating in fresh water pond near town.
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NEST AND EGGS OF BOB-WHITE.
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BOB WHITE.
Female--Male.
Page 175 GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. Order X. GALLINÆ GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, ETC. Family TETRAONIDAE The members of this family are birds of robust form, subdued (not brightly colored) plumage, comparatively short legs and necks; the tarsi and toes are feathered in the Ptarmigan, the tarsi, only, feathered in the Grouse, and the tarsi and toes bare in the Partridges and Bob-whites. They feed upon berries, buds, grain and insects. Bobwhite.
Florida Bobwhite.
Masked Bobwhite. 289. Bob-white. Colinus virginianus virginianus. Range.--United States east of North Dakota and Texas and from the southern British Provinces to the Gulf coast. White. A celebrated "game bird" which has been hunted so assiduously in New England that it is upon the verge of extermination, and the covers have to be continually replenished with birds trapped in the south and west. They frequent open fields, which have a luxuriant growth of weeds, or grain fields in the fall. Their nests are built along the roadsides, or beside stonewalls or any place affording satisfactory shelter. The nest is made of dried grasses and is arched over with grass or overhanging leaves so as to conceal the eggs. They lay from ten to twenty pure white eggs, which are very frequently nest stained when found. Size 1.20 × .95. Often two or three broods are raised in a season, but frequently one or more broods are destroyed by rainy weather. 289a. Florida Bob-white. Colinus virginianus floridanus. Range.--This sub-species, which is found in the southern half of Florida, is very much darker than the northern Bob-white, and is numerously barred below with black. Its nesting habits and eggs are identical with those of the preceding. 289b. Texas Bob-white. Colinus virginianus texanus. Range.--Texas; casually north to Kansas. A grayer variety of the Bob-white. The nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the Bob-white, except that the eggs may average a trifle smaller. Size 1.18 × .92. 291. Masked Bob-white. Colinus ridgwayi. Range.--Sonoran region of Mexico north to southern Arizona. The female of this species is like that of the Texan Bob-white. Their nesting habits and eggs are in all respects like those of the other Bob-whites. Size of eggs, 1.20 × .95.