BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES. 
59 
second week of June, in others, and, perhaps, later ‘in the extreme north- 
ern limits of its habitat. 
A period of three or four days being spent in examining the sur- 
rounding country, the various 25arties soon settle u|)on localities. While 
some prefer the borders of ponds and streams, or more retired and secluded 
situations in the midst of forests, or a corn-field on elevated ground, others, 
again, have a hankering for low, sandy islands, or marshes by the sea- 
coast, or even the almost barren beach itself. 
This part of the business being attended to, each female begins to 
construct her nest. For this j^urpose she scratches a slight hollow in the 
sandy earth, and jjroceeds to line it with a few jiieces of straw, or moss, 
or sea-weed, the nature of the materials de^^ending u})ou the environment. 
When the nest is placed in a corn-field, it is generally built at the root 
of a hill of Indian corn, and is either lined with straws, or mosses; when 
u])on the seashore, various species of alga? are used. 
Having finished her rather simple and hastily-constructed home, with 
as little delay as j^ossible the female commences to deposit her comjJement 
of four eggs. This she does at the rate of one egg a day, < in as many 
consecutive days, taking due care to j?lace them with the small ends 
together in the middle of the nest. 
The last egg dejjosited, the female, on the day thereafter, enters the 
nest, and commences the duty of incubation. She is not necessarily a very 
close sitter, esj^ecially when her nest is located in a sandy soil, as the 
heated sand has doubtless much to do with the develo23inent of the young. 
During inclement weather, j?rotection is absolutely essential ; consequently, 
one bird or the other must occujjy it, by turns, until the necessity has 
passed. 
While one is incubating, it does not aj)pear that her partner is com- 
pelled to i^lay the part of a jjurveyor of food. Careful examinations have 
never enabled us to detect the least evidence thereof. When either j^arty 
