NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 155 



splashed with dark brown, almost black; they are pyriform in shape, quite pointed 

 at the small end, and blunt at the larger portion of the egg. 



272a. PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER. Cliuradriux dominic-us fulvus (Gmel.) 

 Geog. Dist. Asia, and islands of the Pacific. In North America, the islands and 

 coasts of Alaska. In winter, south through India, China, etc., to Australia and 

 Polynesia. 



The Asiatic Golden Plover is similar to C. dominions, but is slightly smaller and 

 of a more golden color. It breeds in Northern Asia, the Alaskan coasts of Bering Sea 

 and Strait. Nesting and eggs similar to those of the last. Average size of the eggs, 

 2.02x1.30. 



273. KILLDEER. Mgialitis vocifera (Linn.) Geog. Dist. Temperate North 

 America, south in winter to the West Indies, Central and Northern South America. 



This familiar bird whose notes, kil-deer, kil-decr, are heard in the daytime, and 

 often in moonlight nights, more frequently during the breeding season than at any 

 other time, is very abundant in North America at large, breeding nearly anywhere in 

 its range. The nest is placed on the ground, usually in the vicinity of a stream, or 

 pond, and often on an elevated spot in the grass or in a furrowed field. It is merely 

 a slight depression of the ground. The bird frequents both high and low grounds, 

 pastures and fallow fields, as well as borders of streams. The eggs are drab or clay- 

 color, thickly spotted and blotched with blackish-brown and umber; small end 

 quite pointed, as is usually the case with all eggs of birds of this order; the eggs are 

 generally four in number, measuring from 1.50 to 1.60 long by about 1.10 broad. 



274. SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, ^gialitis semipalmata Bonap. Geog. 

 Dist. North America in general; breeding in Arctic and sub-Arctic districts; south 

 in winter throughout tropical America as far as Brazil and Peru. 



The Semipalmated Ring Plover is abundant and generally diffused throughout 

 the whole of North America. In the United States it occurs only in the migrations, 

 but it probably;breeds occasionally in some of the Northern States. Both eggs and 

 young have been taken near Chicago, 111., in July. It has been found in the summer 

 months in the Saskatchewan and Mackenzie River regions, and in those of Hudson 

 Bay, in Greenland and throughout various portions of Arctic America. It has been 

 found breeding in the latter part of June on the Arctic coast, and in the Anderson 

 River regions. Breeds on the islands of the Alaskan coast, and at the mouth of the 

 Yukon. Audubon found it nesting in Labrador. The nest is a mere depression in 

 the ground, with a lining of dry grasses or leaves. The bird's general habits are like 

 those of the Killdeer. The eggs vary from greenish to yellowish-ash, spotted, 

 blotched and dotted with varying shades of brown; pyriform; scarcely distinguish- 

 able from those of the Killdeer, excepting in size; length 1.20 to 1.40 by .90 to .95 in 

 breadth ; two to four in number. 



275. RING PLOVER. sEgialitis hiaticula (Linn.) Geog. Dist. Northern por- 

 tion of Eastern Hemisphere, and eastern portion of Arctic America. 



The well known Ringed Dotterel, or Ringed Plover of Europe, holds its place as 

 a North American species on the grounds of its breeding abundantly throughout 

 Greenland and on the shores of Cumberland Gulf. It is particularly common in 

 Great Britain, where it frequents the banks of rivers, inlets and bays, and the shores 



