THE AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. 483 



the annual passage to and fro across the continent is at all times as exciting 

 as a race with death. 



This species and the next are especially sought after by the sportsmen 

 of the Atlantic Coast. Their comparative infrequency in Ohio, together 

 with their late arrival and early return, enables them to escape unpleasant 

 notice for the most part. Coming north as late as April or early May, they 

 return in August or linger a few days into September, and are gone before 

 raw weather has stirred our sporting blood. These are properly birds of 

 the upland and meadow rather than of the beach and riverside, but most 

 of the stragglers picked up within our borders are found on the Lake Erie 

 shore, or on the sand-bars and pebbly spits of inland streams. 



"The Baron Droste Hulskoff, in his 'Birds of Borkum," states that 

 this species passes there late in May, and again appears in its southward 

 migrations in August and early in September. He describes it as a fine, 

 lively bird, carrying its head and body erect and its breast thrown forward. 

 It runs backward in the manner of the Golden Plover; and before flying 

 always lifts its wings high above its head. Its flight is peculiarly swift. — 

 more so than that of most other shore birds — and it flies off in a straight 

 line, now approaching and now leaving the ground in easy dips, extending 

 the wings far and flying with powerful strokes. The call note of this bird, 

 he adds, is a sharp whistle, tlj-e-ih, the final note being very softly sounded. 

 On the wing it repeats this note with long pauses; and when at rest, if 

 another of the same species settles down beside it, the last part of the call- 

 note is repeated back and forth between the two. At sunset they are most 

 uneasy, and fly about, calling continually, late into the night. They are 

 very watchful and shy, carefully avoiding every suspicious-looking mound, 

 and very rarely approaching a place where a sportsman is hid. This is the 

 sentinel of other shore birds, warning them by its sudden flight and loud 

 alarm note. On the edge of the water it seeks its food in the foam ; and 

 like the Sandpiper wades up to its belly in the water." (B. B. & R.) 



No. 219. 



AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. 



A. O. U. No. 272 Charadrius dominicus Mull. 



Synonyms. — Field Plover; Bull-head. 



Description. — Adult in summer: Above dusky, blackening on tips of feath- 

 ers on back and crown, lightening to fuscous on wing-coverts, tertials, sides of 

 neck, etc. ; spotted sharply on back and crown, less distinctly on neck and upper 

 tail-coverts with bright ochre-yellow ; primaries blackish, the basal and a concealed 



