BAY BIRDS. 329 



twelve, about the last of April. These may be found on 

 the bare pastures early in the morning, but they resort 

 to arable fields about eight or nine o'clock to feast on the 

 worms which they prize so much. They fly very rapidly 

 at this time, so that they make excellent targets on which 

 to practice wing-shooting. They re-unite in dense 

 masses after the breeding season is over, and keep together 

 until the cold, weather sets in, when they begin their 

 southern migration. Tliey are fond of frequenting the 

 sand bars of rivers in the evening during the autumn 

 months to sand themselves and quench their thirst, 

 and so anxious are they to reach these places as soon as 

 possible, that they do not take even the most ordinary 

 precautions agf inst foes. 



The killdeer plover {jEgialitis vociferus), which de- 

 rives its name from its sharp, peculiar note, is found all 

 over the Continent, but is most abundant in the West- 

 ern States. It may be recognized by its white forehead, 

 black bands on neck and breast, black bar on crown, 

 black bill, tawny rump, white tail with orange-brown 

 through part of it, and from one to three black bars, 

 white secondaries, and grayish legs. It associates with 

 its congeners, and with curlews, tatlers, sanderlings, and 

 other bay birds. Wilson's plover {^gialitis wilsonius), 

 which is a sea-shore species, is of a pale ash-brown color, 

 and has a black bar on the crown, a broad band across the 

 throat, a dark bill, and flesh-colored legs. The ring 

 neck, or semi-palmated plover {jEgialitis semipalmatus), 

 is about one-third the size of the killdeer, whicli it closely 

 resembles in color, but it has the bright orange eyelid 

 which is wanting in the latter, and also in Wilson's 

 plover. This species is scattered over the country, 

 but its favorite resorts are muddy flats or sandy 

 shores, over which it runs in small groups, while 

 searching for food. It is rather tame, for it only 

 runs a few yards after being alarmed ere it comes 



