70 FEATHERED GAME 



THE BEETLEHEAD PLOVER. BLACK- 

 BREASTED PLOVER. 



(Squatarola squatarola.) 



Tlie Beetlehead ! What visions of blue 

 water, barren sandbars, seaweed-covered 

 ledges, and lonely, wind-swept, desolate islands 

 this name brings up to the shore gunner's 

 mind! What pictures of splendid birds flash- 

 ing over the water or scaling down in swift 

 career to the sandy margins where the sea is 

 ever breaking, and the wary visitors feeding, 

 ready at a sign of danger to take wing and 

 away. Cautious and vigilant to the last degree 

 and very keen of sight, they are the most intelli- 

 gent of their family and among those least often 

 captured by the New England gunner in spite 

 of their comparatively large numbers. 



Among the best known of the shorebird fam- 

 ily is this large and strikingly appareled bird, 

 called also (for, because of its wide dispersion 

 this species is distinguished by many titles) the 

 Black-breasted Plover, Whistling Field Plover, 

 Ox-Eye, Swiss Plover, Bull Head and Chuckle- 

 head, these last two from his somewhat heavy 



