Birds of Massachusetts. 203 
the country. It spends the winter in the south, and 
returns to the north in spring. Its breeding places 
extend from the middle states to Labrador, where 
it was found breeding in July. Dr. Brewer informs 
me that he has once found this bird in Massachu- 
setts. We learn from Audubon, that he has never 
found the Hematopus ostralegus, described by Wil- 
son, in any part of this country, and, though he 
does not say it is not to be found, it is more likely 
that this species has been mistaken for it, than that 
it should have escaped his searching observation. 
This bird is exceedingly difficult to approach, flying 
off the moment it perceives that any one is watching 
it; so that it was only with a telescope that he could 
observe its motions, as it probed the sand with its 
bill, tore off the limpets by inserting its bill as a 
wedge between the fish and the rock, or beat a shell 
fish against the sand, for the purpose of breaking the 
shell. These birds return to the south early in Oc- 
tober. 
The Gotpven Proven, Charadrius pluvialis, is a 
common bird on our coast in spring and autumn, 
when they return from their breeding places in the 
north, and prolong their stay, till they are driven 
. away by the approach of winter. "They live princi- 
pally on such insects as are found in the viciniiy of 
the sea; they are sometimes seen patting the earth 
with then feet, to force out the worm from his bur- 
row, but when grasshoppers are to be had, they ap- 
pear to be the plover’s favorite food. They assem- 
P» ble in such immense flocks, that on one occasion, 
ae 
aw 
