BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 143 
me, which had been secured by a trio of young naturalists* 
residing in my city. This was in August, 1877, since which 
time I have secured them in June, July and August, in several 
years, settling the question of their local nidification. They 
come to us early in April, in numbers enough to show that 
many must go further north to breed. I have not been able to 
obtain any information as to their distribution within our 
limits which extend further north than Grant county, how- 
ever I think they probably breed in the northern counties to 
some extent. They are an extremely active species when on 
the wing, and essentially ploverine in all respects, seeking 
' sandy barren prairies, where they live upon grasshoppers, 
crickets and insects generally, and ants and their eggs speci- 
ally. Ihave found them repasting upon minute molluscs on 
the sandy shores of small and shallow ponds, in the warmest 
part of the day, when they were apparently little more sus- 
picious than the Solitary Sandpipers are notably. The flight 
is ina rather compact form, dipping and rising alternately, 
and with a disposition to return again to the neighborhood of 
their former feeding places. 
The latest record of their presence here in the autumn 
which I find in my notes is October 23d. I have not seen 
their nest or eggs yet. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Bill about the length of the head, straight, compressed, nar- 
row at the point; nasal groove long, wings very long; first quill 
longest; tertiaries rather shorter; tail moderate, or longer than 
usual in this group; legs rather long; lower third of tibia bare; 
toes free at base, flattened underneath and slightly margined; 
hind toe small; upper parts pale and dull ashy-brown, with a 
yellowish tinge; every feather with a large central lanceolate, 
crescent shaped, or oblong spot of black, frequently with a 
glossy-green tinge. especially on the back and shorter ter- 
tiaries; under parts light yellowish-red, or pale-fawn color; 
many feathers tipped with white, and paler on the flanks and 
abdomen, on the breast with partially concealed small spots of 
black; axillary feathers white; quills with their outer webs 
light-brown, inner webs ashy-white, marbled with black, and 
narrowly tipped with white; middle tail feathers brownish- 
black; outer feathers lighter, with transverse waved lines of 
black, tipped with white; bill black; legs greenish-yellow; 
iris hazel. 
Length, 7.50 to8; wing, 5.50; tail,3; bill, from gape 1; tarsus, 
1.25. 
Habitat, North America. 
*T.S. Roberts, C. L. Herrick, R. S. Williams. 
