SPOTTED SANDPIPEB 265 



partially spreading his wings and tail. The object of his attentions held 

 shyly aloof, with the feathers of her body closely appressed, giving her a 

 smart, trim appearance. She gave no indication that his presence or 

 actions were noticed, except that now and then the barred outer feathers 

 of her tail were slightly spread apart. 



In Yosemite Valley, on June 23, 1920, a nest was found on a sand bar 

 200 yards below Stoneman Bridge. When the site was selected it was 

 on a small island, but the recession of the water had later established 

 connection with the shore. One of the birds was sitting on the nest, and 

 every now and then it called in melodious voice and was answered by 

 the mate 50 yards or so up-stream. The four eggs were later seen to be 

 resting in a rather deep grass-lined depression in the sand and partly 

 shaded by leafy weed stems. 



On July 14, 1915, a brood of downy young was discovered on Tuolumne 

 Meadows, and on July 29 of the same year another was observed at Lake 

 Tenaya. One of the three youngsters comprising the latter family was 

 held captive for a few minutes for close observation. "When this youngster 

 was first taken the female parent became greatly excited and ventured 

 within 10 feet of the observer, but later she became more wary. The 

 captive's first reaction was to squat, immobile; after some moments it 

 made strenuous efforts to escape. The other two young birds ran about 

 excitedly, through the sparse grass, and attempted to follow their parent 

 as the latter flew in circles near by among the lodgepole pines. Even at 

 this early stage in their existence the bobbing movement of the hinder 

 parts of the body, which is so characteristic a feature of the adults, was 

 well developed. At longer intervals the whole head and foreparts were 

 bobbed abruptly upward. 



When flushed from a river shore where they have been running about, 

 foraging, the adult birds usually fly in a semicircular course out over 

 the water to the place to which they are retreating; sometimes they swing 

 in over the land, even if their destination is to be some other point along 

 the same stream. It is when so flushed that the clear whistled call is most 

 frequently uttered, although it is also given occasionally when a pair is 

 running about on the sand. 



In 1920 this species was seen daily in Yosemite Valley until Septem- 

 ber 16 but not thereafter (C. W. Michael, MS). 



KiLLDEER. Oxyechus vocifenis vociferus (Linnaeus) 



Field characters. — A Plover, about size of Robin. Two black bands across chest, 

 white collar around hind neck, white bar across wing, tawny rump, white under surface 

 and brown upper surface, and white-tipped and black-banded tail. Voice: A shrill, 

 plaintive kill-dee or Mil-deer, oft repeated. 



