THE BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. 523 



the sea-shores of the middle and eastern districts from the middle of April to the beginning of 

 May ; whereas in autumn they range over the interior, and more especially the Western 

 prairies. In the early part of May, they congregate in immense hocks, and commence their 

 journey toward more northern regions, where they are said to breed. 



"This bird moves on the ground with sprightliness. When observed, it often runs with 

 considerable rapidity to some distance, suddenly stops short, nods once or twice, vibrating its 

 body at the same time, and if it should imagine itself unnoticed, it often lies down and remains 

 crouched until the danger is over. At the time of their departure from the north, and while 

 on the sands of mud- bars on the sea-shore, they often raise their wings as if to air them for a 

 few moments. While searching for food, they move in a direct manner, often look sideways 

 toward the ground, and pick up the object of their search by a peculiar bending movement of 

 the body. They are frequently observed to pat the moist earth with their feet, to force worms 

 from their burrows. In autumn they betake themselves to the higher grounds, where berries 

 as well as insects are to be met with, and where they find abundance of grasshoppers. 



''When travelling to a considerable distance, the Golden Plover flies at the height of from 

 thirty to sixty feet, in a regular manner, with considerable velocity, the flock, when large, 

 forming an extended front, and moving with regular flappings, an individual now and then 

 uttering a mellow note. Before alighting they often perform various evolutions, now descend- 

 ing and flying swiftly over the ground, then curving upwards or sidewise, closing and extending 

 their ranks, until the sportsman is often tired of watching them, and after all, the flock, just 

 when he expects it to alight, may suddenly shoot off and fly to a distance. When they alight 

 without shooting distance, the moment their feet touch the ground is the critical one, for they 

 are generally in a compact body, and almost immediately afterwards they disperse. I have 

 often observed them, while flying from one place to another, suddenly check their course for a 

 moment or two, as if to look at the objects below, in the manner of Curlews. 



" While at New Orleans, I was invited by some French gunners to accompany them to the 

 neighborhood of Lake St. John, to witness the passage of thousands of these birds, which were 

 coming from the northeast and continuing their course. At the first appearance of the birds 

 early in the morning, the gunners had assembled in parties of from twenty to fifty at different 

 places, where they knew from experience the Plovers would pass. There, stationed at nearly 

 equal distances from each other, they were sitting on the ground. When a fiock approached, 

 every individual whistled in imitation of the Plover's call-note, on which the birds descended, 

 wheeled, and passing within forty or fifty yards, ran the gauntlet, as it were. Every gun 

 went off in succession, and with such effect that I several times saw a fiock of a hundred 

 or more reduced to a miserable remnant of five or six individuals. The game was brought up 

 after each volley by the dogs, while their masters were charging their pieces anew. This sport 

 was continued all day, and at sunset, when I left one of these lines of gunners, they seemed as 

 intent on killing more as they were when I arrived. A man near the place where I was seated 

 had killed sixty-three dozens. I calculated the number in the held at two hundred, and sup- 

 posing each to have shot twenty dozens, forty-eight thousand Golden Plovers woidd have 

 fallen that day. 



"On inquiring if these passages were of frequent occurrence, I was told that six years 

 before, such another had occurred immediately after two or three days of very warm weather, 

 when they came up with a breeze from the northeast. Only some of the birds were fat, the 

 greater number of those which I examined being very lean ; scarcely any had food in their 

 stomach, and the eggs in the ovaries of the females were undeveloped. The next morning the 

 markets were amply supplied with Plovers at a very low price." 



According to Wilson, this bird is ten inches and a half long, and twenty-one inches in 

 extent of wing. The sexes differ but little in color. 



■ The Black-bellied Plover (Squatarola Tielvefi.us) is an American bird. In September 

 it is abundant on Long Island, feeding on the great plains. It is known among the gunners 

 here as Black-bellied Killdeer. Tt is especially fond of ploughed fields, where it constructs its 

 nest, — a few coarse materials, slightly put together. The female frequently has two broods in 



