PLOVER. 



483 



of the oviduct of the female being enlarged, arid con- 

 taining an egg half grown, apparently within a week 

 of being ready for exclusion, we conclude that they 

 breed tliere. Their favourite places of resort appear 

 to be the dry sand-flats on the sea shore. They 

 utter an agreeable pipe note. This species is seven 

 inches and three-quarters in length, and fifteen and a 

 half in extent ; the bill is black, stout, and an inch 

 long, the upper mandible projecting considerably over 

 the lower ; front, white, passing on each side to the 

 inaudible ; the eye is bounded by a band of black 

 of equal breadth ; lories, black ; eyelids, white ; eye, 

 long, large, and dark ; from the middle of the eye 

 backwards the stripe of white becomes duller, and 

 extends for half an inch ; the crown, hind head, and 

 auriculars, are drab olive ; the chin, throat, and sides 

 of tin; neck, for an inch, pure white, passing quite 

 round the neck, and narrowing to a point behind ; 

 the upper breast below this is marked with a broad 

 band of jet black ; the rest of the lower parts, pure 

 white ; upper parts pale olive drab ; along the edges 

 of the auriculars and hind head, the plumage, where 

 it joins the white, is stained with raw terra sienna ; 

 all the plumage is darkest in the centre ; the tertials 

 are fully longer than the primaries, the latter brownish 

 black, the shafts and edges of some of the middle 

 ones white ; secondaries and greater coverts, slightly 

 tipped with white ; the legs are of a pale flesh-colour ; 

 toes bordered with a narrow edge ; claws and ends of 

 the toes, black ; the tail is even, a very little longer 

 than the wings, and of a blackish olive colour, with 

 the exception of the two exterior feathers, which are 

 whitish, but generally the two middle ones only are 

 seen. The female differs in having no black on the 

 forehead, lories, or breast, those parts being pale 

 olive." 



THE KILDEEII PLOVER (C. vocijcrus), is a very com- 

 mon species in North America, and makes itself 

 known by its cry, which resembles the sound of the 

 name popularly given to it. In the depth of winter, 

 when the ground is covered with snow, it resorts to 

 the sea-shore, where, indeed, it is found at all seasons 

 of the year. No sooner, however, have the rivers 

 broken up, than its shrill pipe is again heard, some- 

 times roaming to considerable distances from its fa- 

 vourite localities, at others skimming the surface of 

 the sea coast, or exploring the watery flats and mea- 

 dows on foot. The newly- ploughed fields, bare flats 

 which contain shallow pools, dry sandy fields near 

 the sea shore, are its favourite haunts on the advance 

 of spring ; and about the beginning of May it chooses 

 to breed in some of these latter situations. It is not 

 over particular in the construction of its nest. It is 

 a mere hollow, lined with any materials as are most 

 conveniently come at, such as bits of sticks, straw, 

 pebbles, or earth. Indeed, in some instances, it has 

 been found to dispense with a nest altogether, and to 

 bring forth its progeny on the bare ground. The 

 eggs are generally four in number. They are of a 

 yellowish clay or vivid cream colour, thickly dotted 

 over with spots of black. Their size is uncommonly 

 large in proportion to the size of the bird, measuring 

 fully an inch and a halt in length, and rather more 

 than an inch in breadth. They taper to a narrow 

 point at one extremity. During the breeding season 

 they exhibit much anxiety and alarm for the safety of 

 their progeny. At this season they may be seen 

 now floating about, high in air, now approaching the 

 surface of the earth, then skimming the surface of the 



ground, then limping about on one foot as if they were 

 lame, the while uttering the most clamorous, piteous, 

 and incessant cries of Kildeer, Kildeer. The instant 

 a person approaches, his ears are assailed with a con- 

 tinuous strain of this harassing noise, and, if his object 

 seems to be to search out the nest, the birds flutter 

 about near to his person, continuing this annoyance 

 till he is generally obliged to abandon his search. 

 On these occasions they betray much cunning in never 

 alighting near the particular spot where the nest is 

 placed. In the spring and fall of the year, these 

 cries are often heard in the night, more especially in 

 moonlight nights ; and, from the circumstance of their 

 flying abroad in the dark, it is probable that they see 

 better at these times than most of their tribe. Worms 

 are understood to be their principal food ; and, as 

 there is a species of these which rise to the surface 

 of the ground during the night, it is extremely likely 

 that this is their principal inducement to be abroad at 

 this season. 



The Kildeer is much more common in the southern 

 states in winter than in summer. In South Carolina 

 the}' are very numerous in the months of February 

 and March, in the rice-fields, and not unfrequently 

 around the planter's yards, where the negroes fre- 

 quently amuse themselves in catching them with a 

 line, having a crooked pin baited with a worm at- 

 tached to the end of it. Their flight resembles that 

 of the tern, but it is more powerful ; and they often 

 soar aloft to a great elevation in the air. The}' have 

 a semi-aquatic habit, and are very fond of walking in 

 shallow pools of water, and also of bathing them- 

 selves in the summer months. They are strong and 

 vigorous in the wings, and can run with astonishing 

 rapidity. In this exercise, as well as in walking or 

 standing, they carry the body in a stiff horizontal 

 position, which gives them the appearance of a well- 

 drilled recruit standing at attention. Their flesh is 

 not generally considered as very delicious food ; but 

 in autumn, when the birds become fat, it is not at all 

 contemptible. 



In the drought of summer these birds frequent the 

 channels of brooks and small streams, where they 

 feed upon small aquatic insects. They resort to the 

 sea-shore at the beginning of autumn in small com- 

 panies, seldom more than ten or a dozen being ob- 

 served in one flock. They then become more silent, 

 and also more difficult to be approached. 



Its size is ten inches long, and about twenty inches 

 in the stretch of the wings. The bill is black ; the 

 frontlet, chin, and the ring round the eye, are white ; 

 the front of the crown and the auriculars, from the 

 bill backwards, are blackish olive ; the eyelids are 

 bright scarlet ; the eye is very large and of a deep 

 black ; from the middle of the eye backwards, there 

 is a stripe of white ; there is a broad band of black 

 round the lower part of the neck, and under that 

 there is a band of white, followed by another round- 

 ing band or crescent of a black colour ; the rest of 

 the lower parts are pure white ; the crown and hind 

 head are light olive-brown ; and the back, scapulars, 

 and wing-coverts, are of the same colours, skirted 

 with brownish-yellow ; the primary quills are black, 

 streaked across the middle with white ; the rump 

 and tail-coverts orange ; the tail is of a tapering form, 

 and of a dull orange colour, crossed near the end 

 with a broad bar of black, and tipped with orange ; 

 the two middle feathers nearly an inch longer than 

 the adjoining ones ; the legs and feet are of a pale 

 H H2 



