THE KILDEER PLOVER. 93 
ereeks, and mouths of riyers, especially those that are composed of gravel ; 
but, sometimes during the summer months, when they separate in pairs, 
they frequent the inland banks of rivers, lakes, and the elevated mountains 
or open moors. Their food consists of small insects of various kinds, in 
their different states ; also small molluscous animals. These they are actively 
seeking for in the evening and the night, but during the day they generally 
remain quiet, in a resting posture. Their flight is strong, and performed 
with rapidity, but does not generally proceed far at a time, and they some- 
times run with great swiftness. Their note is composed of a plaintive 
whistle, often repeated. The nest is a slight hollow, lined with a few stems 
of dry grass. The eggs are generally four in number, and when they are 
hatched, the parents protect the young birds until they are able to fly. If 
disturbed by an enemy, they generally run for some distance from the nest, 
and then usually pretend that they are unable to fly, tumbling over on the 
ground, and feigning lameness. 
Of the Plovers, the Golden Plover is well known in both the New and 
Old Worlds. The IXildeer Plover is probably as well known as any other 
species on this continent. 
This species is pretty generally distributed throughout New England as a 
summer resident. It is not common in any localities, but seems to be found 
in pairs all along our sea-coast ; and, although occasionally breeding in the 
interior of these States, in the neighborhood of large tracts of water, it is 
almost exclusively found, during the greater part of the year, in moist ficlds 
and meadows, and sandy pastures, within a few miles of the sea, Wilson 
describes its habits as follows : — 
“This restless and noisy bird is known to almost every inhabitant of the 
United States, being a common and pretty constant resident. During the 
severity of the winter, when snow covers the ground, it retreats to the sea- 
shore, where it is found at all seasons ; but no sooner have the rivers opened, 
than its shrill note is again heard, either roaming about high in air, tracing 
the shore of the river, or running amidst the watery flats and meadows. As 
spring advances, it resorts to the newly-ploughed fields, or level plains bare 
of grass, interspersed with shallow pools; or,. in the vicinity of the sea, 
to dry, bare, sandy fields. In some such situation it generally chooses to 
breed, about the beginning of May. The nest is usually slight, a mere hol- 
low, with such materials drawn in around it as happen to be near, such as bits 
of sticks, straw, pebbles, or earth. In one instance I found the nest of the 
bird paved with fragments of clam and oyster shells, and very neatly sur- 
rounded with a mound, or border, of the same, placed in a very close and 
curious manner. In some cases there is no vestige whatever of a nest. 
The eggs are usually four, of a bright rich cream or yellowish-clay color, 
NO. XIII. 65 
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