BAY-BIRDS. 145 
Bracu-Birp. 
Piping Plover. 
Charadrius Hiaticula, Wils. 
The beach-bird, as its name implies, prefers the 
beaches to the meadows, and follows each retreating 
wave of ocean surf in pursuit of its prey, escaping 
with amazing agility from the next swell. It is a 
pretty little bird, not often associating in flocks, and 
on hazy days coming well to the decoys, which 
should be placed near to the surf, while the sports- 
man conceals himself by digging a hollow in the 
loose sand. Although these birds are small, they 
are plump and well flavored, and when flying rapid- 
ly on alevel with the flashing breakers, amid the 
noise and confusion of old ocean’s roar, are by no 
means easy to kill. They are present with us more 
or less all summer, their diminutive size tending to 
protect them from destruction. 
“ Specific Character —Bill shorter than the head ; 
at base orange color, towards the end black; fore- 
neck and cheeks pure white, bordered above with 
black; rest of the head very pale brown. Adult 
male with the bill short, orange at the base, anterior 
to the nostrils black; forehead white, with a band of 
black crossing directly above ; upper part of the head, 
hind neck, back, scapulars, and wing coverts, pale 
brown ; rump white, the central feathers tinged with 
brown ; tail brown, white at_ base, tipped with the 
same ; lateral feathers pure white—the next with a 
spot of blackish-brown near the end; upper tail 
Z 
