Notes on the Habits of the Breeding Water Birds 81 



the bare sand. Three eggs is the full conipleineut. The 

 ground color is pale buff; occasionally deep buff; several 

 specimens I have seen were nearly pure white. The mark- 

 ings are blackish or very dark brown, and are mere dots 

 and specks, but spread thickly and evenly over the egg. 

 Very rarely do they tend to congregate about the larger 

 end, or show a tendency to aggregate into splashes. The 

 average measurements are 1.45 x 1.05. 



Although not wary in the sense that they cannot be 

 closely approached when absent from their nests, Wilson's 

 Plovers invariably leave their eggs while the intruder is 

 yet some distance away. As their eggs harmonize perfect- 

 ly with the sand and shells among which they are deposi- 

 ted, they are vei*}- difficult to discover. A method I pur- 

 sue, which I usually find successful if the air is still and 

 the sand not settled by rain, is to systematically follow the 

 birds' tracks which invariably leads me to their nests ; for, 

 according to my observations, the birds usually, when leav- 

 ing their eggs, run some distance before taking wing. They 

 exhibit much solicitude when their breeding grounds are 

 invaded, following the intruder for long distances and ut- 

 tering a sharp whistling note consisting of a single syllable. 



The young are adepts at hiding among the grass and 

 shells, and it is difficult for the observer to locate them 

 even though knowing exactly where to look for them. They 

 are able to run about immediately after leaving the shell, 

 as the following occurrence will sliow : On May 31, 1017, 

 a novel and interesting incident occurred in connection 

 with my study of the nesting habits of this species. In 

 company Avith (}. R. Rossigiiol and T. D. Perry, I visited 

 Cabbage island, where Wilson's Plovers nest in some num- 

 bers. Mr. Perry, desirous of securing eggs of this species 

 and the Willet, had collected a few full sets of each, and 

 a single egg of the Wilson's Plover which he supposed was 

 addled. Returning in the late forenoon to the summer 

 home of Mr. Rossignol on Wilmington island where we 

 were staying, we deposited the collecting basket containing 

 the eggs in a room, and retired to the front porch of the 

 house. An interval of about two hours had elapsed when 



