WILSO.TS PLOVER. J77 



had been sufferino- all the discomforts attendant upon such a rough passage; then, too, I 

 had just left a frozen, snow-covered land, over which the chilly north winds were sweep- 

 ing: now I was greeted by soft airs from the balmy South, the merry chirp ol' insects rang 

 in my ears, while the full moon, newly risen, illumined a scene which I tlien looked upon 

 for the first time. I wandered off across the town and as I was passing a strip of low land, 

 I was almost startled by hearing loud screams, and at the same moment, two or three birds 

 started up, almost at my feet and, continuing their cries, circled around ray head. I could 

 make out their form quite clearly in the brilliant moonlight and, although it was the first 

 time that I had ever seen them living, I recognized the Kildcer Plover. The case wi(h 

 which they flew at night somewhat surprised me, but I afterward found that they are part- 

 ly nocturnal and I have many times since then, been awakened in the darkness by their 

 shrill notes. 



The Killdeer Plovers are very common in the Carolinas during winter, not only fre- 

 quenting the shores but also haunting moist places in the interior, and I have often seen 

 them in the streets of the villages, where they are very unsuspicious. Southward their 

 numbers increase and on the marshes of the St. John's River, I found them in immense 

 flocks. They are noisy birds when on the wing but while running on the ground, utter a 

 plaintive cry. As they are not at all shy where they are not much hunted, they may be 

 approached quite closely, when they will merely run away, but if pursued, they will often 

 squat, lying quite flat, in order to conceal themselves; then, if approached very closely, 

 they will rise suddenly, with loud, shrill screams which they reiterate until they alight. 

 Thus they often prove a nuisance when one is trying to obtain a shot at some sliyer bird, 

 as the noise made by these restless Plovers, causes all other birds in the inunediate vicini- 

 ty to take wing. 



I found the Kildeers common on the Keys in winter but do not think any remain to 

 breed, but they do nest on Indian River, depositing their eggs late in May, and in Penn- 

 sylvania, they lay about the same time. As might be judged by the foregoing account, 

 they are quite solicitous when their nests are approached and tlieir out-cries often inform 

 the collector that the eggs are near. These birds were very common throughout New Eng- 

 land some years ago and although I have occasionally met with a straggler, they are quite 

 rare here now, and but few remain to breed. 



.aSGIALITIS WILSONIUS. 



Wilson's Plover. 



Myialitis Wilsonius Baird, Birds. X. A. 1858, 693. 



nESCRIl'TIO.X. 



« 



Sp. Cii. Fiii-m, wiliust. Size, not large. Tcrti;!rics not nearly reacliin^ tips of wings. Tail, short and rounded. 

 Sternum, stout, the outer marginal indentations, but slij;htly deeper than inner. Tongue, long, thin and liornj', narrow- 

 ing toward tip whioh is slightly rounded. 



Color. Adult male. Aliove, pale ashy-brown, beLouiiug daiker on tip of tail, the outer feathei-s of which are white. 

 Winog, dark-brown, with line on inner web, central stripes on jM-imaries, base of secondaries, and bar acros=gi-eater Coverts, 

 white. Forehead and line oyer eye, white, above and below which is one of bhick Under part-s, white, with a broad band 

 of black across breast. 



Adult female. Quite similar to the above but the blaok markingsof head and neck are replaced by some of brown. Tbc 



winter male resembles the female. 



