BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 143 



me, which had been secured by a trio of young naturalists* 

 residing in my city. This was in August, 1877, since which 

 time I have secured them in June, July and August, in several 

 years, settling the question of their local nidification. They 

 come to us early in April, in numbers enough to show that 

 many must go further north to breed. I have not been able to 

 obtain any information as to their distribution within our 

 limits which extend further north than Grant county, how- 

 ever I think they probably breed in the northern counties to 

 some extent. They are an .extremely active species when on 

 the wing, and essentially ploverine in all respects, seeking 

 sandy barren prairies, where they live upon grasshoppers, 

 crickets and insects generall3^ and ants and their eggs speci- 

 ally. I have found them repasting upon minute molluscs on 

 the sandy shores of small and shallow ponds, in the warmest 

 part of the day. when they were apparently little more sus- 

 picious than the Solitary Sandpipers are notably. The flight 

 is in a rather compact form, dipping and rising alternately, 

 and with a disposition to return again to the neighborhood of 

 their former feeding places. 



The latest record of their presence here in the autumn 

 which I find in my notes is October 23d. I have not seen 

 their nest or eggs yet. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill about the length of the head, straight, compressed, nar- 

 row at the point; nasal groove long, wings very long; first quill 

 longest; tertiaries rather shorter; tail moderate, or longer than 

 usual in this group; legs rather long; lower third of tibia bare; 

 toes free at base, flattened underneath and slightly margined; 

 hind toe small; upper parts pale and dull ashy-brown, with a 

 yellowish tinge; every feather with a large central lanceolate, 

 crescent shaped, or oblong spot of black, frequently with a 

 glossy- green tinge, especially on the back and shorter ter- 

 tiaries; under parts light yellowish red, or pale-fawn color; 

 many feathers tipped with white, and paler on the flanks and 

 abdomen, on the breast with partially concealed small spots of 

 black; axillary feathers white; quills with their outer webs 

 light- brown, inner webs ashy white, marbled with black, and 

 narrowly tipped with white; middle tail feathers brownish- 

 black; outer feathers lighter, with transverse waved lines of 

 black, tipped with white; bill black; legs greenish-yellow; 

 iris hazel. 



Length, 7.50 to8; wing, 5.50; tail,3;bill, from gape 1; tarsus, 

 1.25. 



Habitat. North America. 



*T. S Roberts. C. L. Herrick. R. S. WiUianis. 



