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NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



272a. Pacific Golden Plover. Charadrius dominicus fulvus. 



Range. An Asiatic species, breeding in northern Asia and on the islands and 

 coast of Alaska. Very like the preceding, but more yellow. Nesting and eggs 

 the same. 



273. Killdeer. Oxyechus vodferus. 



Range. Temperate North America from the southern parts of Canada south- 

 ward. Next to the Spotted Sandpiper, this bird is the most common of the shore 



birds in the United States. It is rarely seen in 

 New England, but is common south of there and in 

 the interior of the country to Canada. 



They are very noisy birds, continually uttering 

 their "kil-deer, kil-deer" from which they take 

 their name. They nest anywhere on the ground, 

 generally near water, placing their nests in fields, 

 cornfields or meadows. The eggs are drab or 

 greenish buff and profusely spotted with black. 

 Size 1.50 x 1.10. Data. Refugio county, Texas, 

 May 11, 1899. 4 eggs in a depression in the ground, 

 lined with a few grasses. Collector, J. J. Carroll. 

 [Grayish buff.] 



274. Semipalmated Plover. jEgialitis semipalmata. 



Range. North America, breeding in the interior 

 of Canada and wintering south from the Gulf States. 



This "ringed" Plover is much smaller than the 

 Killdeer, being about 7 inches long. It has but 

 one black band across the breast, and as indicat- 

 ed by its name, there is a web between the inner 

 toes. The birds habits and eggs are very similar 

 to those of the Killdeer, although of course the 

 eggs are smaller; size 1.30 x .90. 



Buff.] 



275. Ring Plover. Mgialiiw hiaticula. 



Range. A European bird that breeds abundantly 

 in Greenland. It nests in great numbers on the banks 

 of streams and in fields, laying its eggs in hollows on 

 the ground, generally without any lining. Their 

 three or four eggs are practically not distinguishable 

 from those of the Semipalmated Plover, but they 

 average a trifle larger; size, 1.40 x 1.00. The bird, 

 too, is similar but the toes are not palmated, and 

 the black breast band is wider. 



[Buffy 



[276.] Little Ring Plover. Mgialitw dubia. 



An Old World species, accidentally occuring on the Pacific coast. 

 last species but smaller. The eggs, too, are smaller; size 1.20 x .85. 



Like the 



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