THE KILLDEER 103 



they disappeared about the time the first heavy snows fell, 

 but were sure to be back again with the return of spring. 

 Near Nashville, Tennessee, where I am now living, they 

 are with us all the time except in the stormiest and snow- 

 iest weather. Doubtless, like most of our other birds, they 

 retire to the cane brakes and thick brush when such weather 

 comes. 



Many people hunt the killdeer for food. This is true 

 also of most snipes. The woodcock, one of the snipe fam- 

 ily that is found over much of our country, is even a 

 greater delicacy than quail. It seems too bad that such 

 beautiful and valuable creatures as our birds must be 

 slaughtered by tens of thousands every year simply that 

 man may satisfy his appetite. Having protected the birds 

 for the past eighteen years, our school farm has become a 

 veritable bird haven, and probably this accounts for the 

 fact that we have killdeers in such great numbers. 



Key to the Families of Limicolae 



JACANIDJE Jacanas. 



With the claw of the hind toe longer than the toe alone. 



PHALAROPODID^: Phalaropes. 



With the claw of the hind toe not longer than the toe alone, and 

 the toes with lateral, usually scalloped membranes. 



APHRIZID.S Surf-birds and Turnstones. 



With the tarsus transversely scaled in front, the toes without lateral 

 membranes, bill stout and not longer than the middle toe without 

 claw. 



SCOLOPACID^ Snipes and Sandpipers. 



Similar to APHRIZID^E, but bill slender and longer than the middle 

 toe without claw. 



RECURVIROSTRID.E Avocets. 



Tarsus covered in front with irregular or hexagonal scales and more 

 than twice as long as the middle toe with claw. 



H^MATOPODID^E Oyster-catchers. 



Tarsus covered in front with irregular or hexagonal scales, but less 

 than twice as long as the middle toe with claw; and the bill longer 

 than the tarsus, wedge-shaped at the tip. 



CHARADRIID^E Plovers. 



Like H^MATOPODID^, but bill shorter than tarsus and not wedge- 

 shaped at tip (the tarsus in one species transversely scaled in front). 



