THE SEMI-ANNUAL. 41 



the hill, where hours are spent sunning and dusting themselves 

 and more hours in splashing and bathing themselves in the warm 

 water at the base of the hill and in seeking insects, and drying 

 their pretty plumage along the bank. 



The young leave the nest when a day old and follow the 

 parents— the male and female seeming to take equal shares in 

 the care of them. The young are very swift of foot and when 

 pursued, run and double on their track with exceeding dexterity, 

 making their capture quite a difficult undertaking. 



In beauty young Killdeers can scarcely be excelled ; the con- 

 trasting colors and bold markings of the black, white and grey, 

 giving them a striking as well as pi'etty appearance. 



When caught, their soft mild expression and tremulous voice 

 is of such a nature, that few can resist their appeals for liberty. 

 They look so pretty and so innocently helpless, that it would be 

 a hardened person who could harm them. 



The parent birds are very suspicious, uttering their shrill cries 

 and feigning to be wing-broken and leg-broken, on even a distant 

 approach to their nests or young. Cattle or sheep they do not 

 fear. 



I once saw a striped ground squirrel attempt to seize a young 

 Killdeer, but the old birds dashed at the squirrel, drew his at- 

 tention to themselves, while the little one made good use of its 

 ungainly legs and was soon out of danger. 



