THE RING PLOVER. 



Plovers belong to a class of 

 birds called AYaders. 



They spend the winters 

 down south, and early in the 

 spring begin their journey north. 

 By the beginning of summer 

 they are in the cold north, where 

 they lay their eggs and hatch 

 their young. Here they remain 

 until about the month of August, 

 when they begin to journey 

 southward. It is on their way 

 back that we see most of them. 



While on their way north, they 

 are in a hurry to reach their 

 nesting places, so only stop here 

 and there for food and rest. 



Coming back with their fam- 

 ilies, we often see them in 

 ploughed fields. Here they find 

 insects and seeds to eat. 



The King Plover is so called 

 from the white ring around its 

 neck. 



These birds are not particular 

 about their nests. They do not 

 build comfortable nests as most 

 birds do. They find a place that 

 is sheltered from the north 

 winds, and where the sun will 

 reach them. Here they make a 

 rude nest of the mosses lying 

 around. 



The eggs are somewhat 

 pointed, and placed in the nest 

 with the points toward the cen- 

 ter. In this way the bird can 

 more easily cover the eggs. 



We find, among most birds, 

 that after the nest is made, the 

 mother bird thinks it her duty 

 to hatch the young. 



The father bird usually feeds 

 her while she sits on the eggs. 

 In some of the bird stories, you 

 have read how the father and 

 mother birds take turns in build- 

 ing the nest, sitting on the nest, 

 and feeding the young. 



Some father birds do all the 

 work in building the nest, 

 and take care of the birds when 

 hatched. 



Among plovers, the father 

 bird usually hatches the young, 

 and lets the wife do as she 

 pleases. 



After the young are hatched 

 they help each other take care of 

 them. 



Plovers have long wings, and 

 can fly very swiftly. 



The distance between their 

 summer and winter homes is- 

 sometimes very great. 



