﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  351 
  

  

  to 
  the 
  agriculturalist, 
  they 
  must 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  a 
  beneficial 
  species. 
  The 
  

   dozens 
  of 
  stomachs 
  of 
  killdeers 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  examined 
  contained 
  smooth 
  

   caterpillars, 
  beetles, 
  grasshoppers 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  water 
  insects. 
  On 
  accoimt 
  

   of 
  its 
  beneficial 
  and 
  interesting 
  habits, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  its 
  small 
  size 
  of 
  body, 
  and 
  

   the 
  inferior 
  quality 
  of 
  its 
  flesh, 
  this 
  bird 
  should 
  be 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  list 
  

   of 
  game 
  birds 
  and 
  left 
  to 
  enliven 
  the 
  landscape 
  with 
  its 
  sprightly 
  voice 
  and 
  

   manners, 
  and 
  to 
  assist 
  the 
  farmer 
  in 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  noxious 
  insects. 
  

  

  Killdeer's 
  nest 
  and 
  eggs 
  

  

  Photo 
  by 
  James 
  H. 
  Miller 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  Killdeer 
  are 
  laid 
  in 
  a 
  slight 
  depression 
  sparsely 
  lined 
  

   with 
  bits 
  of 
  straw 
  and 
  pebbles, 
  usually 
  in 
  a 
  pasture, 
  cornfield 
  or 
  fallow. 
  

   The 
  old 
  bird 
  leaves 
  the 
  nest 
  while 
  danger 
  is 
  yet 
  afar 
  off, 
  provided 
  the 
  danger 
  

   is 
  of 
  human 
  kind, 
  but 
  when 
  cattle 
  or 
  horses 
  come 
  near 
  the 
  nest 
  she 
  makes 
  

   a 
  great 
  disturbance 
  as 
  if 
  to 
  drive 
  or 
  lead 
  them 
  away. 
  A 
  young 
  friend 
  of 
  

   mine 
  once 
  found 
  a 
  Killdeer's 
  nest 
  while 
  riding 
  across 
  a 
  common, 
  the 
  old 
  

   bird 
  fluttering 
  and 
  screaming 
  about 
  his 
  horse's 
  feet 
  so 
  fiercely 
  that 
  he 
  dis- 
  

  

  