OOLOGIST'S EXCHANGE. 



Published Monthly at 15 cents a year. 



Teems of Advertising. 



Five lines 50 One inch 1.00 



Half column 3.50 One column 6.50 



Address communications of all kinds, to 



T. VERNON WILSON, Austin, III. 



Entered in the Post Cffice at Austin 111, as 



nd-class matter 



THE KILL DEEK PLOVER 



This article took the first prize in our March 

 competition. 



Among our most common summer res- 

 idents, we find the Kill Deer Plover. 

 This bird, though it shares the fields with 

 man and his domestic animals, still pre- 

 serves its independent character and 

 native dignity as intact as the most recluse 

 Owl or Wood-thrush. He needs not the 

 seclusion of forest or copse, or the friendly 

 height of tree or rock, as protection against 

 his many enemies; but seems to rely on 

 his natural craft and prowess to elude 

 their grasp, even on the open plain. 



The Kill Deer, so called from his well- 

 known cry, is very generally distributed 

 throughout North America, its favorite 

 haunts being on margins of lakes and 

 rivers, provided the land is cleared. It 

 also frequents meadow land, drained 

 marshes, ponds, etc. Our ambitious 

 friend is among the early arrivals in spring 

 but is rarely foolish enough to be caught 

 in a snow-storm or freeze-up. From the 

 time of arrival the small companies choose 

 some favorable feeding spot, not far re- 

 moved from corn-fields or fallow, as they 

 prefer ploughed land for nesting. 



Now comes the most interesting period 

 of the summer sojourn — the breeding sea- 

 son. At this time they pair off, but still 

 keep up a running intercourse with the 

 flock. Owing to the close resemblance of 

 the eggs to stones or small lumps of earth, 

 and the bird's power of misleading an in- 

 truder, the former are very hard to dis- 

 cover, even when one starts the bird from 

 the nest. My favorite opportunity for 

 studying their habits at this time is when 

 cultivating corn in May and June. While 



closely watching the row, one is startled 

 by a plaintive cry of distress. This comes 

 from the female, perhaps only a few feet 

 away, seemingly in a wounded and crip- 

 pled condition. But somehow, on ap- 

 proach, she hobbles away- with many a 

 painful jump and flop, always eluding, yet 

 still deluding her pursuer till some dis- 

 tance from the nest. But where are the 

 eggs? When returning on the next row, 

 we are looking for our bird and discover 

 her as she runs from the nest. This time, 

 having marked her nest, a short search 

 will reveal four pointed eggs of dark clay 

 color, irregularly spotted with shades of 

 brown or black. These usually lie in a 

 mere hollow of dirt and measure about 

 1.54 by 1.12 inches. 



After incubation, both birds are most 

 attentive parents, soon taking the young 

 away to feed, as they are excellent runners 

 at a very early age. The adult bird is 

 about ten inches long: extent of wings 

 twenty inches; head small; neck short; 

 body rather slender. The wings reach to 

 end of tail, and the feet and legs are long 

 and slender. The feet are grayish blue, 

 the bill is black. The greatest peculiar- 

 ity of color is a black ring around the 

 neck, and band of same on breast, which 

 contrasts plainly with the light and gray 

 groundwork of the body. 



In midsummer and autumn, old and 

 young again join in larger companies, 

 marching over meadow and moor in search 

 of grasshoppers, beetles, worms, etc. 

 While thus employed, they are always 

 guarded by a sentinel stationed in a com- 

 manding position, who warns them of 

 approaching danger. They run and fly 

 with equal facility, and their flight, though 

 irregular, is very strong and rapid. This 

 species is semi-nocturnal in habits. Au- 

 dubon says their large eyes enable them 

 to feed on many insects that stir aboilt 

 after dusk. I think, however, their fre- 

 quent flights at night are caused from 

 alarm, since their unprotected roosts on 

 open ground expose them to night prowl- 



