92 PLUVIALIS SQUATAROLA. 



hollow, with a few blades of grass. The eggs are four, an 

 inch and /Seven-and-a-half-eighths in length, an inch and 

 three-eighths in their greatest breadth ; their ground colour 

 yellowish-white, tinged with olivaceous, and pretty generally 

 covered with blotches and dots of light brown and pale 

 purple, the markings being more abundant toward the small 

 end. When sitting these birds will remain until they are 

 almost trodden upon. On being started, they fly off a few 

 yards, alight running, and use all the artifices employed on 

 such occasions to induce the intruder to set out in pursuit. 

 The young leave the nest almost immediately after they are 

 hatched, and when two or three weeks old, run with great 

 celerity, and squat in perfect silence when apprehensive of 

 danger. When they are able to fly, several families unite, 

 and betake themselves to the sea-shore, where other flocks 

 gradually arrive, until, at length, on the approach of cold 

 weather, almost all of them begin to move southward. In 

 their habits they are more maritime than the Golden Plovers, 

 which, when migrating, generally advance over the land. 

 The flight of this bird is swift, strong, and well sustained. 

 When roaming over large sand-bars, they move in compact 

 bodies, whirling round, and suddenly veering, so as alter- 

 nately to exhibit their upper and lower parts. At this time 

 old and young are intermixed, and many of the former have 

 lost the black so conspicuous on the neck and breast in 

 summer. During winter, or as long as they frequent the 

 sea-shore, they feed on marine insects, worms, and small 

 shell-fish ; and when they are in the interior, on grasshoppers 

 and other insects, as well as berries of various kinds, on 

 which they fatten so as to become tolerably good eating. This 

 species is known in Pennsylvania by the name of Whistling 

 Field Plover, suggested by the loud and modulated cries 

 which it emits during the love season." 



Young. — When about a week old, Mr. Audubon has 

 represented the young as having the bill and feet dull 

 greenish-brown ; the iris brown ; the general colour of the 

 downy covering pale brownish-yellow, mottled with dusky ; 

 a whitish ring round the eye ; the tail with a black band, 



