BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 319 



him, complaining loudly. Like many others of its tribe it 

 has a habit of extending its long wings high above the back 

 when alighting, and then folding them slowly down. This 

 bird, although a Sandpiper, resembles the Plovers in habits. 



The southward migration of this species begins before the 

 middle of July and is in full swing in August. It moves south 

 both through the interior and along the coast, and there is 

 some reason to believe that individuals put out to sea from the 

 south Atlantic and Gulf coasts, for it is one of the species which 

 commonly visits Barbados, the most easterly of the Lesser 

 Antilles. It passes through both the Greater and Lesser 

 Antilles, but in the Bahamas, Porto Rico and Jamaica it is so 

 rare that many must reach the more easterly islands by a sea 

 route. Probably it also crosses the Gulf of Mexico, flying 

 south from Louisiana and Texas to southern Mexico, for it 

 is found in its fall migration in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, 

 and some birds which probably go by land, taking the western 

 route, are seen in western jNIexico. It winters on the pampas 

 of South America. 



In spring it arrives in Louisiana on the average about 

 March 14, before it reaches Florida or the plains of Texas. 

 As Professor Cooke reasons, this seems to indicate that it 

 makes a direct flight across the Gulf. Formerly it came in 

 immense flights to Louisiana and Texas, and from northern 

 Texas to North Dakota multitudes remained to breed. Ap- 

 parently there are no records of this species in spring east of 

 Cuba, which suggests the probability that about all the in- 

 dividuals come north through Central America, some going 

 east through Yucatan, Cuba and Florida, while the majority 

 cross the Gulf and go up the Mississippi valley. 



This bird is a valuable ally of the farmer. It feeds on 

 locusts, grasshoppers, cutworms and other enemies of grass 

 and other crops. During the Locust invasions in Nebraska 

 Professor Aughey found this species among the most useful in 

 destroying the insects and saving the crops, for at that time it 

 was abundant and correspondingly useful. It came in large 

 flocks in spring and did great service on locust-infested farms. 



