186 



THE OOLOGIST. 



little value unless it represents a vast 

 amount of knowledge of something 

 besides book-lore. 



Stewart E. White. 

 Macinac Co., Mieh. 

 [Latek.— Aug. 7, 1890. When I 

 wrote the above article on the Magnolia 

 Warbler, I supposed I had included all 

 the songs and notes of this bird. At 

 the present date, however, a new one 

 is all the rage among the males; it is a 

 harsh "k-e-e-e-dl," the last syllable 

 higher by a shade, quick, and subordi- 

 nated to the first part. It is the pre- 

 vailing note now, only a few of the 

 songs above described being heard. 

 Stevs'art E. White.] 



Wilson's Plover at Home. 



This interesting member of a large 

 and populous family has been, T think, 

 sadly neglected in the various publica- 

 tions devoted to the interests of his 

 race. Certainly such treatment is un- 

 deserved, for unlike his more exclusive 

 and aristocratic relations, he is a regu- 

 lar summer visitor along our hot and 

 sandy shores, and as such, is entitled to 

 respect and consideration from all true 

 oologists. 



In few localities, I imagine, can these 

 birds l)e found and studied to better 

 advantage than along the Virginia 

 ■coast in the vicinity of Cape Charles. 



The long string of flat, sandy islands 

 stretching northward from this point 

 are practically uninhabited and here 

 the birds lay their eggs and rear their 

 young unmolested. 



Early in May, the eggs are laid and 

 from then onward to the latter part of 

 June they may be found, in cases where 

 the first set has been destroyed. Three 

 eggs usually constitute a set, although 

 occasionally but two are laid and I 

 have yet to see or hear of a nest con- 

 taining four. They are laid directly on 

 the bare sand, and will he in most 

 cases, neatly encircled by a ring of 



bi'oken bits of shell, making altogether • 

 as pretty an oological sight as one 

 could wish to see. Conspicuous 

 enough it seems when once the eyes 

 rests upon it, and yet the whole ar- 

 i-augement harmonizes so well with the 

 broken sticks, shells and other debris 

 along the beach, that the "nest" will 

 be only found by accident or by long 

 and patient search. 



If the birds set at all during the day, 

 which almost seems doubtful, they are 

 careful enough to leave long before the 

 collector draws near, and usually his 

 first intimation of their presence is an 

 anxious, plaintive note frequently ut- 

 tered, and, looking carefully, the birds 

 may be seen some distance aAvay. 

 They quickly spread the alarm and 

 other pairs breeding in the vicinity join 

 the first until a dozen or moi'e may be 

 seen at a time running on ahead and 

 stopping every now and again to look 

 back, all hands meanwhile keeping up 

 a vigorous yjrotest against the unwel- 

 come intrusion. 



In certain cases where the sand is 

 bare anil soft, an isolated pair can be 

 tracked to the nest, but as the birds ai'e 

 apt to choose a place well strewn with 

 shells, and as they are, moreoAer, of a 

 neighborly disposition, tending to keep 

 house in company, the whole place is 

 genei'ally a mass of indistinguishable 

 footprints. 



Of the eggs themselves little need be 

 said except that they present remarka- 

 bly little A'ariation in color and iiiark- 

 ing, but differ considerably in shape, 

 being in general less pjn'iform than 

 most waders. 



This species is one of the few in 

 which there seems to have been diminu- 

 tion in number during the past three 

 years . 



Gulls, Terns and Skimmers are shot 

 for their plumage and robbed of their 

 eggs at a rate which threatens their 

 extermination; Willets are shot while 

 breeding and their nests depleted on all 



