SHORE BIRDS 141 



in the Western country is deceptive, so I walked fully two 

 miles before raising the suspicion of the male. He circled 

 about, coming within three feet of my face and suddenly 

 darting upward. I scanned every foot of ground, and 

 found, after two hours' search, that the wary male had led 

 me five hundred yards away. I retraced my steps to the 

 spot where he first attacked me. He became frantic in his 

 efforts to again mislead me, but I continued straight ahead 

 and presently he was running about the grovmd in front of 

 me. I dropped my hat, to mark the spot, even if the vegeta- 

 tion was too scant for concealment. Finally I saw the female 

 lying perfectly flat with neck and bill on the ground. She 

 was completely surrounded by prickly pears, and so, safe 

 from prowling animals and reptiles. I advanced, when she 

 arose, shook herself, and ran rapidly away. The male was 

 calhng so noisily that seven other curlews joined in the 

 attack. 



The four eggs rested in a little hollow with the points 

 together. They were pear-shaped, having a pea-green back- 

 ground beautifully spotted with different shades of maroon. 

 These eggs are slightly larger than those of our domestic 

 turkey, though laid by a bird only one-fourth as large. 

 This gives a good idea of how large are the eggs of the 

 shore bird in proportion to those of other species. They 

 perform such extended migrations that these birds have no 

 time for nest building, and the young attain such develop- 

 ment and strength .before hatching that they are able to 

 care for themselves in a few hours. These downy young 

 resemble the adult bird but little. They are of a brownish 

 color, and have straight bills. 



