68 MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



serving to add to the picturesqiieness of the water landscape as it wings 

 its way in measured flaps over the placid waters, or stands motionless 

 with beak pointing straight upwards, in the bog. 



The Bartramian Sandpiper or Field Plover, Bartramia longicauda. 

 is a very interesting bird. Unique in its class as caring little or nothing 

 for the proximity of water, this long-legged bird of the uplands is little 

 noticed or generally known, on account of its stealthy measured move- 

 ments. It arrives with us usually in the last week in March and builds 

 its nest in a rather open spot such as the border of a gravelly knoll, 

 with scarcely any material to protect the eggs. Like the Killdeer it 

 sometimes makes its nest close to the hills of growing corn upon the 

 mellow soil. The eggs are four in number of a brown or clay color, 

 variously spotted with darker shades and black. The food of the Upland 

 Plover consists of both seeds and insects. In the early part of the sum^ 

 mer, it consists about equally of each; in haying time, more largely of 

 grasshoppers, crickets, et cetera; and later on when the grain is harvested, 

 the stubble fields are sought and the birds fatten upon the grain left on 

 the ground. As this bird stands motionless, as is its habit, it is not 

 easily detected owing to its close mimicry of the natural surroundings 

 and the passerby is not aware of its presence until two sharp, quick 

 whistles, exactly as a man would whistle to his dog if near him, arrest 

 his attention. This is the note of alarm and as the supposed person is 

 sought on all sides, the graceful flight of the rather large bird betrays 

 the mistake. It is of much benefit to the farmer and of no harm. 



The Killdeer Plover, J^gialitis vocifera, is a very generally known 

 species of which I need say but little. Coming to us from the south 

 the last of February or first of March and usually remaining late in 

 November or in some instances even all winter^ it makes itself known at 

 all times by its characteristic note, which is its name, as it runs before 

 us upon the ground or flies round and round overhead. Nest is in thin 

 grass lands, in corn fields of plowed ground, preferably within a short 

 distance of water. Eggs, four, clay colored, with black and brownish 

 spots especially about the larger end. Food mostly of insects, some 

 seeds and grains. A very useful bird, and does no harm. 



The Quail or Bob White, Colin us vir(/iiiiam(S, is a bird equally well 

 known to the tiller of the soil, the sportsman and the fastidious epicure 

 of the city caf6. It is said not to be a migrant because it is a winter 

 resident wherever it is found. When the Quail betakes itself to the tam- 

 arack swamp or to the farmyard for food and for protection from the cold 

 storms that sweep the hills where it has passed the summer, it is per- 

 haps as truly migrating as are the species which regularly recede south- 

 ward on the same account. We see this same gathering together, in pro 

 tected spots or where food is abundant, of many other of our winter resi- 

 dents. Many species go south because of cold weather while others only 

 go because their food becomes unobtainable as in the case of most of th(^ 

 ducks, and the Robin, Crow, etc. The Quail begins to whistle with the 

 first warm days of spring not nesting however, until the latter part of 

 May and usually not until June. Some nests have been found late in 

 October or even in November, if I recall correctly reports at different 

 times in our ornithological publications, these of course being second 

 broods or the nests made after the first nests have been broken up. 

 The mother remains with her brood usually until they are grown, and in 



