152 A NATURALIST IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION 



the under parts, white. There is a black bar on each side 

 of the breast, the two sometimes uniting to form a band across 



the breast. 



The killdee and 

 semipalmated plovers 

 are also found on the 

 beach, though more 

 characteristic of pas- 

 tures and marshy 

 uplands respectively. 

 The former is about 

 the size of a robin. 

 It has two black bands 

 crossing its front. It 

 repeatedly whistles 

 * f { y 3^\-' "killdee" when dis- 

 turbed. The latter is 

 smaller (6f inches) and 



FIG. 146. Termites or white ants, Termesflavipes: has only one black 

 a, Female; b, Male; c, Worker; d, Soldier. From Bull, band across its front. 

 Bureau of Entomology, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. The spotted sand- 

 piper is also common, though more characteristic of the shores 

 of streams and smaller inland lakes. It is yj inches long, 

 streaked, barred, and spotted all over, the 

 under parts strongly spotted with black 

 on a white ground. It bows and teeters 

 as it comes to a stand. 



Under the driftwood of the storm beach 

 one will find hiding by day the common 

 toad, many predatory beetles, an occa- 

 sional mole or mouse, all-night prowlers 

 that come out in the dusk to feed. Here 

 too one finds the white ants or termites 



FIG. 147. The sand- 

 colored spider, Trochosa 

 cinere a. 



(Fig. 146). The sand-colored spider, Trochosa cinerea (Fig. 147), 

 hunts over this territory to good purpose by day. 



