504 THE BIRDS OF MANITOBA THOMPSON. 



(Thompson). Two Rivers: 1885, first seen, one, on May 3 ; next seen, 

 several, on May 4 ; became common May 5 ; breeds here (Criddle). 

 Shell liiver: 1885, first seen, two, on May -4; afterwards seen every 

 day; is common all summer and breeds here (Calcutt). Qu'Appelle: 

 Common summer resident; breeds; arrives May 12 (Guernsey). 



May 6, 1882 : For some days back I have heard a loud rattling whis- 

 tle th t seems to come from the skies, and sometimes I have seen the 

 bird that produces it sailing at a great height. Occasionally I have 

 observed it sail downwards at an angle of 45 degrees and settle on the 

 fence or on the prairie. To-day at noon I shot one of thete birds as it 

 was perched on a fence stake. It first alighted on the barn, where C. 

 T. fired at it, but it flew off and alighted on the fence where I winged 

 it. It did not attempt to escape, but lay on its back with its logs drawn 

 up. I found it to be the upland plover, or quaily, as the residents 

 call it. It was a male, length Hi, extension 20J ; stomach contained 

 insects and two rose-pip stones. 



May 11 : Single quailies very numerous now ; they seem to sail down- 

 ward out of the very sky, uttering their mournful whistle, like "rrrrrr- 

 pliee-iilieeoooo ! ''"' as they sail down on the prairie, where they stand 

 for a few seconds, like the statue of an angel, with their wings raised 

 aloft, doubtless to show the beautifully barred under side, then delib- 

 erately folding them they nod and step forward and nod again at each 

 step, and pick up the unfortunate early flies, and stop occasionally to 

 reiterate the mournful whistle and thereby conjure out of the very 

 clouds some comrade who also sweeps downward, whistles, alights, 

 strikes the vainglorious attitude, then joins in the varied pursuits of 

 love, music, and beetles. 



May 4, 1883 : Quailies noted. A. S. T. May 11, quailies very numer- 

 ous now. 



On June 6, 1883, while crossing the prairie near the house, I flushed 

 a Quaily from her nest almost under my feet; she fluttered a few yards 

 forward and then lay flat on the prairie, beating her wings on the 

 ground and uttering such heart-broken cries that I could not but leave 

 her in peace. The nest contained three eggs. 



June 15. I saw a curious sight on some newly broken prairie. A 

 Quaily had sprung from her nest just under the feet of the plough- 

 horses ; the man had stopped them, removed the four eggs the nest 

 contained, ploughed on, and then, after replacing the square foot of 

 sod the bird had nested in, restored the eggs to their place and left 

 them. Very soon the mother bird found courage to return and resume 

 her duties, and when I saw her, she was sitting contentedly on her 

 eggs in this tiny green patch surrounded by acres of level black earth. 



June 4, 1884. In this day's drive saw no pairs of Quailies, but ob- 

 served seven solitary birds. During the last week of May the species 

 was always seen in pairs, and it was this that led me to count. The 

 change noted to day is, no doubt, due to the fact that the honey-moon 



