CHARADRIID.E— THE PLOVERS. 27 



" Young. Similar to adult, but feathers of the upper parts more or less conspicuously 

 margined with pale rusty, or fulvous.' 



"Dotcny Young. Upper parts eeneraUy. including piloum. light grayish brown, the two 

 areas of this color bounded all around by black, a wide collar of which crosses the jugulum, 

 and, extending across the nape bimenth a broad white collar, oomplefcly encirch'S thu 

 neck; a broad bar of velvety bla<.-k down the middle of the humeral region, and a narrow, 

 more interrupted stripe of the same down the rump. Forehead, throat, lowi^r parts gener- 

 ally, "hand-wing, "and posterior border of the humerus, pure white, the flanks and erissuni 

 more isabella-color; a narrow black line running from the rictus to the eye. 



Total length, about 10 inches; extent of wings, 20.50; wing, 0.50; tail. S..W. 



This corninon. and well-known liird is found throughout the 

 State, and i.s decidedly the most numerous member of its fam- 

 ily exee]it dui-ing- the season of mig-ratioji. It is a gresit nui- 

 sance to the gunner, being usually the first to take alarm at 

 his approach, and staitiiig up all birds in the vicinity by its 

 loud cries. 



"Like most of its race, this Plover passes much of its time 

 on the ground, over which it moves with great rapidity. It 

 can run with such swiftness that — according to Audubon — to run 

 "like a Ivildeer'" has in some parts of the country passed into 

 a ])roverbial i)hrase. The bird is also e(]uall.y active on the 

 wing, and mounts at pleasure to a great height in the air with 

 a strong and rapid flight, which can be continued for a long- 

 distance. Sometimes it skims quite low over the grrjund, and 

 at other times mounts to a great height; and during the love 

 seasons it is said to perfoim various kinds of evolutions while 

 on the wing. 



"Ite note consists of two syllables, resembling in sound ^/V/- 

 '/'", rapidly enunciated ; and occasionally, when the bird is 

 much e.Kcited, only t!i(? last syllable is repeated after the first 

 utterance of the double note. Cienerally it is sounded in a loud, 

 clear tone, and as a signal of alarm. It not unfrequentlv 

 startles other bii-ds and puts them on their guiird, this habit 

 rendering the Kildeer an objccf of dislike to the gunner. Dur- 

 ing the summer — especially when it is breeding, and afterward, 

 even when its young are fully grown — the Kildeei' is a noisy 

 and restless bird, and is disturbed by the near approach of 

 man. It will often squat until one is close upon it, and will 

 then suddenly fly up or run off, startling the unwary intruder 

 by a loud and clear ciy. Actcording to .Vudubon, during the 



