WATER-BIRD WAIFS 



started in part way up the scale, with the gallinaceous 

 birds, so now we will work backward thence to the 

 beginning. 



The first group to mention in this plan is the shore- 

 birds, and of these, unfortunately, there are now few, 

 indeed, that visit our inland towns. A century or less 

 ago, for instance, almost every barnyard had its Xil- 

 deers (plovers), and every field its Upland Plovers 

 (Bartramian Sandpipers). But to-day they are gone, 

 save in rare instances. Great flocks of the beautiful 

 Golden Plover used to descend upon the fields in their 

 southward flight in late August and September, but 

 now they are all but extinct. Too bad, too bad ! Along 

 the shores of the larger ponds or lakes we may occa- 

 sionally see a few Semipalmated Plovers, or Ring- 

 necks, occasional Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, 

 perhaps in small flocks, and the Greater and Lesser 

 Yellow-legs on shores or in meadows. The time for 

 any of these is August and September, and for the 

 Greater Yellow-legs even October. 



The only shore-bird which breeds is the Spotted 

 Sandpiper, the little bird popularly called "Teeter," 

 which runs along the margin of pond or river, teetering 

 its body up and down in nervous fashion. Medical 

 authorities decry our "teetering" with the rocking 

 chair as conducive to nervous disorders, but this little 

 chap teeters all his life and does not appear to suffer 

 for it. Possibly it might add fifty per cent, to his years 

 if we could teach him to calm himself and "be aisy!" 



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