AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. 



GOLDEN YELLOW RUMP is 

 one of the names often applied 

 to this most beautiful member 

 of the Plover family, which is 

 thus made conspicuous and easily rec- 

 ognizable. It is found everywhere in 

 the United States, from the Atlantic to 

 the Rocky Mountains, but is rare on 

 the Pacific coast south of Alaska. They 

 are seldom found far inland, their nat- 

 ural home being on the seacoast, oc- 

 casionally frequenting marshy or wet 

 grounds, though as a rule they prefer 

 the sandy beach and adjacent flats and 

 uplands. During migration theirflight, 

 especially in the spring, is hurried, di- 

 rect and in the night, only stopping to 

 rest and feed during the day, returning, 

 it is said, in a more leisurely manner 

 and largely along the seashore. When 

 on the ground these birds run about 

 on unbended legs, the bodies in a 

 horizontal position and heads drawn 

 down. While sleeping or resting 

 they usually sit or stand on one leg. 

 Captain Houdlette of the Oceanic 

 Steamship Company caught a Plover 

 that came aboard his ship while on its 

 way from Alaska to Hawaii. These 

 birds are not web-footed, and the cap- 

 tain seems to have solved the problem 

 as to whether they ever rest on the 

 water during their long flights. He says 

 they do. "It was during the run from 

 San Francisco to Honolulu that I saw 

 several Plovers in the water resting. 

 When the steamer came too near 

 they would rise with a few flaps 

 of their wings, but, being very tired, 

 they would soon settle back into 

 the water again. In its efforts to get 

 away one of them came on board and 



it lived for some time. I always 

 thought the birds made a continuous 

 flight of over 2,000 miles, but I am now 

 satisfied that the)' rest on the waves 

 when tired." 



The Hight of a flock of Golden Plov- 

 ers is described by Goss as swift and 

 strong, sweeping over the prairies in a 

 compact, wavy form, at times skim- 

 ming close to the ground, then high in 

 the air; an everchanging, circling course, 

 whistling as they go; and on alighting 

 raising their wings until the tips nearly 

 touch, then slowly folding them back, a 

 habit which is quite common with them 

 as they move about the ground. 



Plovers eat Grasshoppers, Beetles, and 

 many forms of insect life; small berries 

 are also a part of their diet. 



Mr. Nelson, in his "Report Upon 

 Natural History Collections in Alaska," 

 gives a full and interesting account of 

 their nesting-habits. He says the court- 

 ship of this handsome bird is carried on 

 very quietly, and there is no demon- 

 stration of anger or quarreling among 

 the rivals. When iwo are satisfactorily 

 mated they quietly go about their nest- 

 ing, after which each pair limits its 

 range to the immediate vicinity of its 

 treasures. The eggs are deposited the 

 latter part of May in a small depression 

 among the moss and dried grass of a 

 small knoll, and at times a slight struc- 

 ture is made of dried grass. Four eggs 

 are laid, of a pale yellowish ground 

 color, with very dark, well-defined um- 

 ber brown spots scattered profusely 

 over the shell. 



Golden Plovers on the ground. 



See them rise, and fly, and sing-; 

 Where before was not a sound 

 Now the very echoes ring. 



