Plovers 



nest that they may be the better covered; and rumor says these 

 emancipated females leave all the incubating to the males. 



Killdeer 



(/€gialitis wcifera) 



Called also: KILLDEE; KILDEER PLOVER 

 (Illustration facing p. 224) 



Length — 9.50 to 10.50 inches. About the size of the robin. 



Male and Female — Grayish brovi'n washed with olive above ; the 

 forehead, spot behind eyes, throat, a ring around the neck, 

 a patch on wing, a band across breast, and underneath, white; 

 front of crown, cheeks, a ring around neck, and a band across 

 breast, black; lower back and base of tail chestnut; inner 

 tail feathers like upper parts; outer feathers chestnut and 

 white, all with subterminal band of black tipped with white. 

 Bill black; legs light; eyelids red. 



Range — Temperate North America to Newfoundland and Mani- 

 toba; nests throughout range; winters usually south of New 

 England to Bermuda, the West Indies, Central and South 

 America. 



Season — Resident, March to November, or later ; most aoundant 

 in spring and autumn migrations. 



A certain corn field used to be visited daily by an aspiring 

 ornithologist, aged nine, for a peep at four little yellowish white 

 eggs, spotted and scrawled with chocolate brown, that were laid 

 directly on the ground, without so much as a blade of grass to 

 cradle them. Every visit threw the old birds into a panic, which, 

 of course, was part of the fun anticipated in making the visit. 

 Kildeer, killdeer, dee, dee, they called incessantly as they whirled 

 about overhead and screamed in the child's ears ; but still the eggs 

 were relentlessly fondled, while the mother now frantically ran 

 about, dragging her wings beside her, pretending to be lame ; now 

 sprang into the air and dashed about every which way, as if mad. 

 In spite of much handling, however, the eggs actually hatched; 

 and what was the child's amazement after leaving them at nine 

 o'clock one morning to return at ten and find eggs, birds, and even 

 shells had disappeared ! Later a brood of queer, top-heavy, long- 

 legged, striped, and downy chicks was discovered running 



242 



