BIEDS OF NOETHEEN CANADA 337 



only in the Barren Grounds but also on the border of the 

 woods and along the shores of the Polar Ocean. Altogether 

 one hundred and seventy nests are recorded among my notes. 

 The female lays four eggs, — in one instance we found five, 

 and in another only one, while the contents of these happened 

 to be in a well-developed condition. During the breeding 

 season foxes destroy many eggs and young of this and other 

 species of birds nesting on the ground. While traversing 

 the Barrens and on the coast the frequently varying and 

 sweetly clear and melodious notes of both plovers and cur- 

 lews were almost constantly heard by us with no little 

 pleasure. Mr. Eoss's List entry is "North to Arctic coast 

 and abundant." Sir John Eichardson says it hatches early 

 in June and retires southward in August. 



The nests are precisely similar to those of the black- 

 bellied plover. They were also as difficult to discover, and for 

 the same reason, a harmonizing resemblance of the egg-mark- 

 ings to the surrounding soil, and a timeous departure of the 

 female bird from her nest. On one occasion our party spent 

 half an hour in a close but fruitless search, during which 

 the female resorted to various manoeuvres to attract us away 

 from her nest, 'but on our withdrawal to a short distance she 

 at last revealed its position by settling down upon her eggs. 



The Dominion Museum contains eight fine specimens 

 of this plover, but no eggs ! 



273. KiLLDEEE — Oxyechus vociferus (Linn.). 



In the spring of 1891, Mr. McKay, of Pelican Narrows, 

 Cumberland, shot a specimen which was later identified as 

 being that of a killdeer. I cannot say that I ever met there- 

 with on the Anderson Eiver or elsewhere. It may, how- 

 ever, be present in summer in British Columbia, as well as 

 in sections north of the Saskatchewan Eiver. Mr. Spread- 

 borough states that " this species nests in the gravel at the 

 margin of lakes and ponds, also on bare ground on the 

 prairie and in ploughed fields throughout the whole prairie 



