iDUi) ; 

 liiMU- 

 viiyi>li 

 lack : 

 line III' 

 iitu ill 

 tilijicil 



aiili- 



,f I'ilis 



paitl.v- 

 deejii'i; 

 ; feiitli- 



elluw ; 



black." 



SCOLOPACIDiE ~ THE SNIPE FAMILY — BARTRAMIA. 



297 



Bui'tram'a Tcattler — or, as it is more generally culled by gunners and sportsmen, 

 tin* Upland or the Field I'lover — is more or less abundant in all parts of the United 

 States and in tlui interior as far north as the Saskatelu'wan I'lains. It breeds from 

 Pennsylvania north, and is nu)re eomnum in tlu! interior than in the higher grounds 

 near the coast. It is also found in Mexico, in Central America, and in South Amer- 

 ica as far south as the Pampas. 



^Ir. Salvia, during his stay at Duenas, in Guatemala, noticed quite a flock of this 

 siiccies, consisting of about eighteen or twenty mend)ers, which arrived about the 

 licginuing of April at that i)laee. Since they .seek dry, open savannas, rather than 

 maisliy jkhiIs, they fully justify the api)ellation of Field I'lover, their actions and 

 lialiits closely assimilating theui to the Chanult'Uihr. Mr. Sulvin afterward nu't with 

 tliis bird in Ai)ril on the coast of Honduras, among the bays. Dr. Uurnu'ister found 

 it coiamon in South Anu'riea south of Mendoza, on the banks of the Kiver Tunuyan, 

 anil could detect lu) difference between South Anu^rican and Northern specimens. 



Ivichardsou nu't with this bird on the Saskatchewan Plains, where it was feeding 

 (111 coleoiiterous insects. Cuptain Plakiston also found it common in the same local- 

 ity, where it breeds during the suuuuer. Mr. A. Lockhart foiuid this I'lover breeding 

 iis far north as Fort Yukon, June 15, 1802, and snared t\u\ female on her nest. Mr. 

 .1. Ibbiston also procured speciuu'ns in the same neighborhood. Mr. Donald Gunn 

 iimiid it breeding at Selkirk SettlenuMit. Mr. R. McDonald noticed it Itreeding 

 aniiiiig the mountains west of the Lower Mackenzie, and ^Ir. J. M'Dougal met with 

 it in the (Jens de Large Mountains, two hundred miles northeast of t\u'. Yukon. 



Till! Upland Plover is a great wanderer. In at least three instances stragglers 

 have liecn taken in England, (hu' of these was obtained near Candu'idge in Decem- 

 ber, 1<S~)4, another was afterward procured in Warwickshire, and Mr. John Gould 

 received a siiecimen of this bird shot near Sydney in Australia. Mr. ^Villiam (Jrant 

 iccnrds (" Ibis,'' 18(57) the capture of a single specimen in Malta, and Mr. 0. A. Wright 

 (•• Ibis," 18()9) also makes mention of another taken in the same island, Nov. 17, 18()5. 

 Mr. Wright adds that ahuost sinudtaneously with this occurrence a third example of 

 tliis species was taken in ICnglaud near Falmouth, Nov. 14, 1865. Two other instances 

 air named by Teniminck of its having been noticed in other parts of Euro])e. 



This species is said by Leotaud to visit Trinidad during the months of August, 

 September, and October, after which it departs for the south. But few visit the 

 island, and these are found in the interior meadows, generally singly. 



Jlr. Dresser met with this species on his jouriu>y from Brownsville to San Antonio, 

 Texas, in September, 180.'), and states that on quitting the sandy regions and entering 

 into the grass country he found this s])ecies — known there as the Grass Plover — 

 qniti' abundant. It did not go in flocks, but was scattered singly all over the coun- 

 try. He found it shy and ditticult to aiqiroach, especially when on foot ; but by 

 rilling or driving near it, he could always get within .shot before it took to flight. 

 Wlien undisturbed it ran about very swiftly, catching insects among the grass, often 

 reniiuiling him of the Stone Curlew of Europe ((Edimemus crej)!tans). AVhen dis- 

 turlieil it would squat close for a tinus and then, if api>roached, it ^-juld rise srul- 

 ilenly and fly oft', uttering a clear whistle. In New Orleans — where it is known 

 nuilcr the name of " Papabot" — it is much sought after by epicures ; and Mr. Dresser 

 tliinks with good reason, as he never tasted a better bird. In some instances it 

 was so fat as to burst open on falling to the ground. He observed none during the 

 winter; but in April and May, however, he noticed a few near San Antonio, but 

 those were very shy. Dr. J. C. Merrill, who has carefully studied the habits of this 

 Plover in the Rio Grande region of Southwestern Texas, mentions its arrival u. t 

 VOL I. — 38 



HI 



mm 



