BAT-BIRDS. 145 



BEACH-BIKD. 



Piping Plover. 

 Charadrius Hiaticula, Wils. 



The beach-bird, as its name implies, prefers the 

 beaches to the meadows, and follows each retreating 

 wave of ocean surf in pursuit of its prey, escaping 

 with amazing agility from the next swell. It is a 

 pretty little bird, not often associating in flocks, and 

 on hazy days coming well to the decoys, which 

 should be placed near to the surf, while the sports- 

 man conceals himself by digging a hollow in the 

 loose sand. Although these birds are small, they 

 are plump and well flavored, and when flying rapid- 

 ly on a level with the flashing breakers, amid the 

 noise and confusion of old ocean's roar, are by no 

 means easy to kill. They are present with us more 

 or less all summer, their diminutive size tending to 

 protect them fi*om destruction. 



" Specific Character. Bill shorter than the head ; 

 at base orange color, towards the end black ; fore- 

 neck and cheeks pure white, bordered above with 

 black ; rest of the head very pale brown. Adult 

 male with the bill short, orange at the base, anterior 

 to the nostrils black ; forehead white, with a band of 

 black crossing directly above ; upper part of the head, 

 hind neck, back, scapulars, and wing coverts, pale 

 brown ; rump white, the central feathers tinged with 

 brown ; tail brown, white at base, tipped with the 

 same ; lateral feathers pure white the next with a 

 spot of blackish-brown near the end ; upper tail 

 7 



