186 BULLETIN 146^ UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



September, and continue to pass till the end of October, sometimes stragglers 

 are as late as November. Even in the most favorable seasons, only a fraction 

 of the immense flights that pass over the island ever alight. 



Much has been written about the Atlantic flight of the golden 

 plover and remarkably little has been said about the southward 

 flight in the interior, but such a flight occurs regularly, though in 

 much smaller numbers. Professor llowan (1926) says that in 

 Alberta : 



We have notes of hundreds going south in a single day in mid September, 

 when the main movements occur annually. An interesting feature of the fall 

 migration of golden plover is that it consists entirely of young birds. The 

 earliest record we have is August 18 and the next August 24. These are rather 

 early, September being the chief month of arrival. The fall movements are 

 protracted, and we may have small flocks with us till toward the end of October. 

 Another feature of the autumn migration is a change of habit. The birds, while 

 often noted on pasture (particularly if in large flocks) more usually frequent 

 the muds and behave like the majority of other waders. They associate freely 

 and habitually with other species. They behave like the strays of the spring. 

 Being birds of the year there is no doubt in their case that they are sexually 

 undeveloped. 



We have a single record of an adult bird in the fall collected by Harrold on 

 August 22. It was noted the previous day, but not secured, and proved to be a 

 female well advanced in its moult. There is one other reliable autumn record 

 for an adult golden plover from the Province, seen at Sullivan Lake in July 

 by Mr. T. E. Randall. Until we have spent the whole of July at our lake or 

 some other suitable observation station, it will be impossible to say that adults 

 never — except accidentally as strays — come south through the Province, but all 

 evidence available indicates that they do not do so. 



I can not wholly agree with Professor Eowan's evident belief that 

 all the birds that migrate through the interior are young, birds and 

 that very few young birds take the Atlantic route. However, the 

 dates given by numerous observers in the Mississippi Valley and in 

 Texas would seem to indicate that they were nearly all referable to 

 young birds, as they are generally late dates. The main migration 

 route for both adults and young is evidently the Atlantic route; the 

 species is comparatively rare in the interior, south of Canada. It is 

 still rarer on its southward migration along the Pacific coast; the 

 dates are mostly late, probably for young birds; D. E. Brown has 

 sent me two records from Washington. October 7, 1917, Gray's 

 Harbor County, and November 14, 1915, Clallam County. Appar- 

 ently most of the adults take the Atlantic route ; the young birds are 

 spread out over the whole country, but are much more inclined to 

 the eastern route. 



Game. — The golden plover has been a famous game bird. It was 

 a most desirable table bird, as it was usually very fat and its flesh 

 had a delicious flavor on account of its clean, upland feeding habits. 

 The uncertainty of its appearance and its enormous numbers at 



