AMEEICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. o 



the middle of May this beautiful Plover reaches the vicinity of Saint Michaels. 

 The earliest record I have, for the Territory, is May 13, specimens in my possession 

 having been secured at Fort Reliance on the Upper Yukon at this date. As the 

 breeding season approaches, it is found as one of the commonest breeding waders 

 over the grass and moss grown country extending along the shore of Bering 

 Sea. In some cases they have deposited their eggs by the 1st of June. . . . 



" It arrives along the shore of Norton Sound, the last of May, in small flocks 

 rarely exceeding thirty or forty birds. They are in full breeding dress, and are a 

 beautiful sight as they glide about on easy wing, or feed over the marshy flats. 

 Their soft, clear call-note gives evidence of the rich song to be heard later. They 

 soon pair and disperse, so that within a few days after the main arrival their-nests 

 may be looked for. Their nests are generally in small depressions which may be 

 found among the moss and dried grass of a small knoll, and at times a slight 

 structure is made of dried grass. The grass, and, perhaps, a few dead leaves of 

 the dwarf willow are arranged in a circular, saiicer-shaped form, about 4 or 5 

 inches across, and contain four eggs, which have a pale yellowish ground-color, 

 with very dark, well-defined umber-brown spots scattered rather profusely over the 

 shell, especially about the larger end. One set of eggs measures 1-98 by 1'35 ; 

 2-09 by 1-30; 2 by 1-30; 2-08 by 1-33. This set of eggs was obtained at Stuart 

 Island in June. Three odd specimens measure respectively 1'90 by 1'25 ; 1'92 

 by 1-38, and 1-86 by 1-29. A second set, obtained in June, 1880, near Saint 

 Michaels, measures 2 by 1-31 ; 2-09 by 1-30 ; 2-09 by 1-26, and 2'02 by 1-29. The 

 ground-color is very uniform, the only variation being to a slight bufFy shade, in 

 some instances, and a slight increase or decrease in the abundance of the dark 

 markings. . . . 



" The males are conspicuous objects, as they stand like silhouettes, their 

 black and white breasts and sides of neck presenting a sharp clear-cut outline on 

 the brown and gray background. At intervals their clear, meUow, and melancholy 

 note rises for a moment, and then the bird apparently sinks into a day-dream and 

 remains motionless for some time, until he is prompted to assure his partner of 

 his presence by another call. The male at this season has a brighter plumage 

 than the female, and in places little frequented by man he becomes very 

 unsuspicious ; near villages, however, he is always on the lookout, and is difticidt 

 to approach even when he is found by his nest. Toward the end of May and 

 during the first of June the males utter a clear, rich song, which is frequently 

 heard during the twilight of the short Arctic nights. . . . 



" The courtship of this handsome bird is carried on very quietly, and I have 

 witnessed no demonstration of anger or quarreling among the rivals. When two 



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