THE OOLOGIST. 



103 



well known examples that we will 

 speak. The Loon or Great northern 

 diver always deposits two eggs of an 

 almost perfectly elliptical shape, which 

 lie side by side and at about three-fifths 

 of the length of the trough-like depres- 

 sion from the front of the nest. From 

 the position of the eggs an observer 

 may tell the position of the bird on the 

 nest, as the setter is long bodied and 

 the abdomen is well back from a cen- 

 ter. This arrangement is verified by 

 watching the birds on the eggs. The 

 turtle dove, nighthawk, and whip-poor- 

 will each lay two egg which are placed 

 side by side. 



The Spotted Sandpiper and Killdeer 

 plover, and I presume all of the shore 

 birds, at least so far as I know, lay 

 four eggs at a clutch, and arrange them 

 in the nest or on the bare ground with 

 their small ends together, and as they 

 pyriform they join in to perfection. 

 The eggs of all snipes and plovers are 

 proportionatelyly exceeding large com- 

 pared to the size of the bird, and the 

 saving of space by this arrangement 

 undoubtedly answers a purpose. It is 

 impossible to offer a solution to this 

 problem of order, unless we suggest 

 that it is a wise provision of a power 

 which ordains the arrangement which 

 best admits of the bird's covering the 

 eggs thoroughly. It is fair to doubt if 

 the sandpiper could cover her four 

 large eggs if they were arranged in any 

 other position. The shore birds are not 

 provided with a plenty of fluffy feath- 

 ers like the grouse and bob- white which 

 lay many eggs at a clutch. If this ar- 

 rangement of the set is broken and the 

 eggs changed about, ii will usually be 

 found that the birds will rearrange the 

 clutch, showing conclusively that the 

 birds reason in regard to the position 

 which will give the setter the best 

 chance to cover the four eggs, I have 

 disarranged the set, turning the small- 

 er ends out, and have almost invariably 

 found that the set would be rearranged 

 in the course of a day. 



Continued. 



The Bartramian Sandpiper. 



The Upland or Field Plover is known 

 as the most elevated species of the fam- 

 ily in its selection of nesting quarters. 

 It is rare to note this bird in the sec- 

 tions selected by others of the snipes, 

 sandpipers, and plovers, and it is very 

 unusual to meet with it at any time 

 along the lake shores or streams, as it 

 prefers uplands and I have knowledge 

 of its nesting on the highest land be- 

 tween Chicago and Detroit. Upland, 

 therefore, applies well to the species, 

 as it is often, nay, usually found nest- 

 ing at quite a distance from a lake or 

 stream. This habit is observable in the 

 region of the Great Lakes, and it is 

 said to be more noticable in the west. 



The names— snipe, sandpiper, plover 

 and others applying to the shore birds, 

 are quite often indiscriminately used for 

 the same bird, and are used as the terms 

 finch, linnet and sparrow are for the 

 small seed-eating birds. Still, th re is 

 a distinction among the shore-birds, 

 and the name plover does not apply to 

 this species, as it is not a plover in any 

 sense; not belonging to that family. 

 But usage is hard to combat, and this 

 bird will always be known as a plover. 

 In the west where creatures quite often 

 receive unusual and startling names 

 this snipe is known as grass plover, 

 praire snipe, prairie pigeon, probably 

 in allusion to some note resemblance, 

 and at Manitoba is known commonly 

 as ' Quaily." The A. O. U. name, Bar- 

 tramian Sandpiper is a good one; it was 

 given in honor of the renowned Pro- 

 fessor Bartram in the early part of this 

 century. 



The Field Plover arrives in Michigan 

 in middle April or a little earlier, but 

 is not seen in any numbers until after 

 the 20th, of the month. Some morn- 

 ing, when we are out for snipe, provid- 

 ed you are an advocate of spring shoot- 

 ing, we may hear a peculiar note or 

 series of twitterings. These are pleas- 



