THE SEMIPALMATED PLOVER. 643 



sod-covered runway for the steep stair-case_, the bird was imhiced to visit her 

 eggs upon the very summit of the platform. The river, meanwhile, was find- 

 ing considerable lateral relief and a further rise of more than one or two feet 

 seemed improbable. It was thus I left the Killdeer, seated on her little Eifel, 

 in comforting assurance that her treasures were safe.^ 



No. 255. 



SEMIPALMATED PLOVER. 



A. O. U. No. 274. .-Cgialitis semipalmata Boiiap. 



Synonyms. — Rixc, rLoxiCK. Rini;.-xi:ck. 



Description. — Adult in sufiiiiicr: A narrow black band across breast and 

 continuous around hind-neck ; fore-crown and a band on side of head below eye 

 to bill, and meeting fellow on extreme forehead, black mixed with brown ; fore- 

 head, indistinct superciliary line, lower eye-lid. chin, and throat, continuous with 

 narrow band across cervix, and remaining underparts. white : crown and nape, 

 back, etc., bright grayish brown : upper tail-coverts and base of tail a little lighter; 

 tail blackish subterminally, the outer pair of feathers pure white, the others de- 

 creasingly white-tipped ; greater wing-coverts white-tipped ; primaries blackish, 

 the basal and subterminal portion of their shafts white ; bill black, orange-red at 

 base; feet and legs yellowish. Adult in -wiittcr: The black markings replaced 

 by dark grayish brown. Young: Similar to adult in winter, but feathers of 

 upperparts tipped with light buffy. Length 6.50-7.50 ( 165.1-190.3 ) ; wing 4.90 

 (124.5) '• tail 2.10 (53.3) ; bill .52 (13.2) : tarsus .97 (24.6). 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size, but appearing larger; a miniature Kill- 

 deer, but without tawny rump, and with only one band across breast. Feet par- 

 tially webbed. 



Nesting. — Xot known to breeil in Washington. Xcst: on the ground. Ec/f/s: 

 3 or 4. like those of the Killdeer, but smaller. A v. size. 1.3OX .92 { ;3,t, x 23.4). 



General Range. — Arctic and subarctic America, migrating south thru tro]3i- 

 cal America as far as Brazil, Peru and the Galapagos. 



Range in Washington. — Xot uncommon during migrations, chiefly coast- 

 wise; Destruction Island, July 16, 1906. 



Authorities. — Acgialitis scniipahnatus ( Bon. ) Cab., Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R, 

 Surv. 1858, p. 695. C&S. L. P.. E(H). 



Specimens. — L^. of W. Prov. B. 



THE Semipalmated Plo\-er is a miniature Killdeer to apiJearance. but it 

 has onl}- (^ne black chest-ljand instead of two. It is not a nois}- bird like the 

 Killdeer for it patters about silently when in quest of food, and utters only 

 a "soft, mellow whistle" when put to wing. 



a. "Saving the Killdeer's Nest," The Pacific Jlonthly, Oct. 1908, p. 395 f. Reproduced liere in sub- 

 stance by courtesy of The Pacific Monthly Publishing Company. 



