360 JEG1ALIT1S VOC1FERUS. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Eyys, placed on the ground in a depression of the soil on a little grass. They are from two to four in number, decided- 

 ly pyriform in shape, greenish-brown in color, finely and plentifully dotted with very dark-brown and black. Dimensions 

 from 1-10x1 -40 to 1-12x1-50. 



HABITS. 



On the first day of December, 1870, as I was walking along the beach, near the bar- 

 racks, at Key West, I observed a small flock of about half a dozen birds running in front 

 of me, occasionally uttering a low, mellow whistle. I at once saw that they were some- 

 thing new to me but, as they were extremely wild, it was some time before I could obtain 

 a specimen, but at last I secured one by taking a long shot, made just as they were rising, 

 when the rest flew away and I never saw them again. Thus the history of the Mountain 

 Plover, for such the stragglers proved to be, in our section, is easily written, but judging 

 from this instance and from published accounts, this Plover does not differ strikingly in 

 habit from many of its allies. 



JEGIALITIS VOCIFERUS. 



Killdeer Plover. 

 JEgialitis vociferus BAIRD, Birds N. A.; 1858, 692. 



DESCRIPTION. 

 Plate XV. Young. 



SP. CH. Form, slender. Size, large. Bill, long and slender. Tail, long and rounded. Tertiaries, nearly reaching 

 the tips of the elongated wings. Sternum, stout, outer marginal indentations, considerably deeper than inner. Tongue, 

 not long, thin, and slender, horny at extreme tip which is pointed. Sexes, similar. 



COLOR. Adult. Above, greenish-brown. Rump, upper tail coverts, and base of tail, cinnamon-red; and outer pair of 

 feathers of latter, white, banded with black, while the tips of all but central pair are tipped with white which is preced 

 ed by a broad band of black. Wings, dark-brown, with lines on inner webs, elongated spots on primaries, tips, and baso 

 of secondaries, white. Forehead and line through eye, white, above and below which is a band of black, passing back of 

 eye. Bmaath, whit?, which ext;nis in aollar back of n^ck, above whieh, behind, is a band of reddish, and below is a 

 broad ring of black which rapidly narrows behind, however; beneath this, after an interval, is a band of black on breast. 



Youny. Similar to the adult, but every feather above is edged with reddish, while the throat and space between the 

 black bands are tinged with it. 



Nestlings. Are covered above with a yellowish-ash down mixed with rufous. Beneath, white, tinged on the sides with 

 rufous. The black bands on the head are much as in the adult but the lower one is continuous, uniting behind. There is, 

 however, but one ring l)elow, the continuous upper. Eyelids, red, iris, brown, bill, black, and feet yellow, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Known from all other Plovers by the the two black bands on the throat and breast, and cinnamon rump. Distribu- 

 ted in summer throughout North America, not very common in New England. Winters in the South. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from North America. Length, 10-00; stretch, 20'25; wing, 6'50; tail, 4'00; bill, 

 75; tarsus, 1-45. Longest specimen, 10-50; greatest extent of wing, 21'00; longest wing, 6 75; tail, 4-50; bill, "90; tarsus, 

 1-65. Shortest specimen, 9'50; smallest extent of wing, 19'50; shortest wing, 6'25; tail, 3'50; bill, '60; tarsus, 1'30. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Eyff*, placed on the ground in a slight depression of the soil , on a little grass, etc.; four in number, abruptly pyriforra 

 in shape, creamy in color, spotted and lined with dark-brown and umber, but there are more spots than lines. Dimensions 

 from 1-OOx 1'35 to l'05x 1'50. 



HABITS. 



On a December evening, some years ago, I stepped from the deck of a steamer upon 

 a wharf at Fernandina in Florida, well-pleased to find the solid land beneath my feet once 

 more, for the weather during the voyage, had been unusually stormy and I, among others, 



