BiBDS OF Indiana. 741 



and Chicago, March 26 (Blackwelder). The earliest record given from 

 Chicago is that by Mr. Dunn, March 10, and the latest of first arrival 

 is April 2, 1885 (Parker). The following are other dates of first ar- 

 rival there: March 26, 1884 (Parker); March 27, 1897 (Tallman). It 

 is to be observed that the first arrivals in early years are from about 

 one to four weeks later reaching the vicinity of Chicago than they are 

 in reaching the same latitude in eastern Indiana, Michigan or the 

 shore of Lake Brie, and the difference in the date of becoming com- 

 mon is almost as notable. Years when the migration is later they 

 reach these points at approximately the same dates. Doubtless, some 

 years, the early opening of the rivers running southward into the Ohio 

 afford an opportunity for early migrations, while the conditions 

 around the lower end of Lake Michigan are uncongenial. Therefore, 

 by way of the valleys of the Wabash, Whitewater and Miami Rivers, 

 they find their way to the upper Lake Basin, near Lake Erie. Usually 

 they are conunonly found throughout the district mentioned by the 

 latter part of March. Their call, "Killdeer," from which they take 

 their name, is well known to the people of the State. Beside this, it 

 has a lower call, often uttered as the birds run rapidly ahead of one, 

 in the pasture or stubble, or on the river bar. It is represented by 

 te-e-6-e-e-t, uttered with a sort of mechanical emphasis. The eggs are 

 laid in a depression on the ground. Four constitute a set, and the 

 small ends are laid together, forming a cross. They lay in pastures, 

 corn fields, on prairies and gravel bars, above the ordinary summer 

 flood. I have taken the full complement of eggs, April 15, and some- 

 times the young are found in June. 



After the young are grown, they and the adults collect into small 

 flocks and the borders of our streams and lakes are enlivened by them. 

 Most of them go south in October, but many remain until November 

 and even December in the northern part of the State. 



Subgenus iBsi^LiTis Boie. 



116. (274). .ffigialitis semipalmata (Bonap.). 



Semipalmated Plover. 

 Synonyms, Ring Plover, Eing-neck. 



Adult in Summer. — ^Above, grayish-brown; forehead, ring around 

 neck, and lower parts, white; fore part of crown, lores, and broad pec- 

 toral collar (continued around back of neck, below the white nuchal 

 collar), black or dusky; bill, yellow or orange, black-tipped. In Win- 

 ter. — The black markings replaced by grayish-brown, like the back, 

 etc. Immature. — Like winter adults, but bill wholly black, and 

 feathers of upper parts margined narrowly with buif. (Ridgway.) 



