BIRDS OF NEW YORK 355 



Onondaga co., X. Y. Sept. 1886. Morris Green 



Ossining, X. Y. 189S. A. K. Fisher 



Lake Ontario, X. Y. Occasional migrant. David Bruce 



Lake Ontario, X. Y. May 10, 1900. (d^ "circitmcincta"). Geoige F. Guelf 



Mr Chapman fotind lo or 12 birds living on Gardiners island in the simimcr 

 of 1893 [see Bird-Lore, 5: 182], and Mr Bruen saw five there in June 1904 

 [see Wilson Bui. 50. p. 18]. In 1883, Mr Dutcher, with Nelson Verit}-, 

 hunted over a great extent of Jones' beach at South Oyster Bay, for nests 

 of this bird, btit although a number of birds were seen, no eggs could be found. 

 On May 30th, 1887, he found a pair evidently nesting on a shelly flat at 

 Amit}'ville beach. ^Ir W. W. Worthington, in 1900, wrote that both the 

 Piping plover and the belted variety breed in the vicinity of Shelter island. 

 Specimens of the Belted piping jjlover have been taken also at Rockaway 

 and on Shinnecock bay [sec Eagle, N. O. C. Bui. 3: 94; and (Lawrence), 

 Dutcher, Atik, 2 : 37]. This variety which was christened c i r c u m c i n c t a 

 by Ridg^vay is noAv regarded only an instance of individtial variation in 

 A . m e 1 o d a . From Dutcher's Notes, supplem.ented from those of 

 Worthington, Helme, Braislin and Howell, it is evident that the Piping 

 plover arrives from the 3d to the 24th of March, rareh' appearing as late 

 as the 12th of April; and departs for the south between the ist and the 

 20th of September. Nesting dates range from the 3d to the 10th or 20th of 

 June and the 4th of July. The eggs are laid on the bare sand or bits of 

 broken shells and pebbles, are four in number, creamy white, sparingly 

 speckled with blackish and obscure lilac. Their dimensions average 

 1.25 X .95 inches. 



Mr Langille describes the Piping plover's note as follows: "Its tone 

 has a particularly striking and musical qualit}-. Qneep, queep, queep-o, or 

 peep, peep, peep-lo, each syllable being uttered with a separate, distinct, 

 and somewhat long-drawn enunciation, may imitate its peculiar melody, the 

 tone of which is round, full, and sweet, reminding one of a high kc}' on an 

 Italian hand organ or the hautboy in a church organ. It is always pleasing 

 to the lover of Natttre's melodies, and in the still air of the evening it is 

 very impressive." 



