LIMICOLAE CHARADRIIDAE AEGIAL1T1S MONTANA. 



447 



AEGIALITIS MONTANA (Towus.). 

 Rocky Mountain Plover. 



Charaarius montanus, TOWNS., Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vii, 1837, 192. Id., NARR. 

 1839. 349. HEERM., P. R. R. Rep., x, pt. ii, 64. 



^Egialliis montanus, BD., Birds N. A., 1858, G93. JEgralites (sic) montanus, BD., Ives' 

 Col. Exped., 1857-58, pt. iv, 6. COOP. & SUCKL., P. R. R. Rep., xii, pt. ii, 

 1860, 231. HAYD., Trans. Am. Phil. Soc., xii, 1862, 173 (Upper Missouri). 

 ALLEN, Bui. Mus. Comp. Zool., 1872, 181 (Middle Kansas ; plains of Col- 

 orado and Wyoming; South Park). SNOW, Birds K.tn., 1872, 13. AIKEN, 

 Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., xv, 1872, 209. HENSHAW, Rep. Oru. Specs., 

 1873, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 93. RIDG., Am. Nat., viii, 1874, 109. ALLEN, 

 Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., June, 1874, 36. 



1'odasocys montanus, COUES, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1866, 96. 



JSgialitis asiaticus var. montanus, COUES, Key N. A. Birds, 1872, 245. 



Eudromias montanus, COUES, Check-List, app., No. 402. COUES., AID. Nat., viii, 1874, 

 600 (Montana, breeding). Jd., Birds Northwest, 1874, 456. 



Oxyechus montanus, HENRY, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 108 (New Mexico). 



This species was met with but in one locality, on the dry plains near 

 the Rio Grande, Colorado. It is to be regretted that lack of time did not 

 allow a more careful examination of the habits of this little known species. 

 While riding rapidly along in an ambulance, I saw quite a number, and 

 shot three as they ran from before the horses and halted a few feet from the 

 road. From their actions, I was certain that their eggs were near by ; but a 

 short search did not reveal them. Upon dissecting a female, June 10, I 

 found an egg nearly ready to be deposited. They were very tame, running 

 along, the ground a few feet ahead, and uttering a low, croaking note. 

 Mr. Aiken found this plover very numerous on the plains about Pueblo, 

 Colo. In passing from this point to the south, I sometimes noticed one of 

 this species along the road, as, alarmed by the passing coach, it hurried to 

 one side, or flew a short distance, and then, alighting, turned to view the 

 cause of its alarm with timid inquisitive eyes. By the last of June, the 



