KILLDEER PLOVER. 



HESE birds named themselves, 

 as many other birds have done, 

 by their loud call of " Killdeer, 

 killd eer ! " Would they keep still, 

 and not talk about themselves so 

 much, they would escape many 

 a hunter's game-bag. But "Killdeer, killdeer!" 

 comes from all around, and so the birds give them- 

 selves away. Game-birds should learn a lesson of 

 the hunters, who do not keep calling to one an- 

 other all the time. 



This plove^r is fond of fresh water, and is not 

 seen on the sea-coast with its cousins, the snowy 

 plovers. It loves damp meadows and inland ponds 

 and marshes. The killdeer 

 has long, slender legs which 

 carry it through the marsh- 

 grass or the alfalfa-fields. 

 They look very droll, as if 

 they were " holding up 

 their skirts " for fear of 

 wetting them in the dew. 



w. S.R. VOL. 97 97 



REFERENCE TOPICS. 



Feet and legs of -wading 

 birds. 



Precocious young of 

 some birds. 



Feigning lameness in 

 nesting-time. 



Alfalfa raising and cur- 

 ing. 



