BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 149 



four days before they disappear, and I supposed for many 

 years that they all passed beyond the State line, but some 

 time in the summer of 1875, a clutch of four eggs were sent me 

 with the female, which proved to be a Black-bellied Plover. 

 It was obtained in the vicinity of upper Lake Minnetonka, in 

 my own county. Since then several nests have been reported 

 by persons competent to determine them, and I accept the 

 conclusion that this species breed to a limited extent in some 

 portions of the State. The nest differs in no particular from 

 those of the other species of the family. 



A natural depression in the ground, of about the size desired, 

 is selected, or else one is scratched out by the female, and lined 

 with a few leaves, blades of grass, or moss, in which are de- 

 posited the orthodox four eggs. These are a creamy- buff color 

 with spots and confluent blotches of umber and obscure touches 

 of lilac, chiefly about the larger end. They reappear in mod- 

 erate flocks about the middle of September and are frequently 

 seen until the second week in October. They are offered in 

 the market in autumn, and are regarded good eating. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill and legs strong; wings long; a very small rudimentary 

 hind toe; around the base of the bill to the eyes, neck before 

 and under parts of body, black; upper white, nearly pure and 

 unspotted on the forehead, sides of the neck and rump tinged 

 with ashy, and having irregular transverse bars of brownish- 

 black on the back, scapulars and wing coverts; the brownish- 

 black frequently predominating on those parts, and the rump 

 also frequently with transverse bars of the same. Lower 

 part of the abdomen, tibia, and under tail coverts white. 

 Quills brownish-black, lighter on their inner webs, with a 

 middle portion of their shafts white, and a narrow longitudinal 

 stripe of white frequently on the shorter primaries and secon- 

 daries. Tail white, with transverse imperfect narrow bands 

 of black. Bill and legs black, and black color of the under 

 parts generally with a bronzed or coppery lustre, and present- 

 ing a scarelike appearance; the brownish-black of the upper 

 parts with a greenish lustre. 



Length, 11.50; wing, 7.50; tail, 3. 



Habitat, nearly cosmopolitan. 



CHARADRIUS DOMINICUS Muller. (272.) 

 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. 



A very abundant migrant, but a very uncertain one, sometimes 

 reaching us in spring in considerable flocks, and at other seasons 

 giving us the complete "go-by." They reach the State in the 



