60 WADING BIRDS. 



the 2oth of May, or later, as they proceed to the North, they 

 commence laying, the eggs, being about four, rather large, of 

 a pale cream color, or nearly white, irregularly spotted and 

 blotched nearly all over with blackish brown and many sub- 

 dued tints of a much paler color. 



The cry of this species, uttered while running along the 

 strand, is rather soft and musical, consisting chiefly of a single, 

 varied, and repeated plaintive note. On approaching the 

 breeding-spot, the birds wheel around in contracting circles, 

 and become more clamorous, piping out, in a tone of alarm, 

 'ke-bee,'^ and keeb, keeb, then falling off into a more feeble kee- 

 boo, with occasionally a call of kib. At times, in the same sad 

 and wild accent with the vociferous Lapwing, we hear a cry of 

 kee-wee, and even the same pai-wee, pee-voo, and pai-voo. 

 When in hurry and consternation, the cry resembled '//V, '///, 

 'pit, 'pt. Sometimes, in apparent artifice, for the defence of 

 their tender brood, besides practising alarming gestures^ they 

 even squeak like young birds in distress. 



The food of this species is quite similar with that of the 

 Semi-palmated Ring Plover; indeed, the birds are scarcely to 

 be distinguished but by the paleness of the plumage in the 

 present species, and the shortness of the web between the 

 exterior toes. They are usually fat, except in the breeding- 

 season, and much esteemed as game. 



The Piping Plover is a common summer resident of New Eng- 

 land and the Maritime Provinces, though rare in spme localities on 

 the. Bay of Fundy. Mr. C. B. Cory found it abundant on the 

 Magdalen Islands. 



Mr. Thompson thinks it a migrant near Toronto ; but Mr. 

 Saunders found it breeding at Point Pelee, on Lake Erie. 



Note. — The Belted Piping Plover {jE. meloda circum- 

 cinctd) is a Western variety, restricted chiefly to the Missouri 

 River region, though it has been occasionally seen on the Atlantic 

 coast. It differs from true meloda in having "the, black patches on 

 the sides of the chest more or less completely coalesced " instead 

 of separated. 



1 The first syllable uttered with a guttural lisp. 



