SANDPIPERS 10» 



date. Small numbers were seen at Barachias until April 23, 

 1912, and at Montgomery, on April 19, 1912, a flock of about 

 a dozen was seen in an overflowed meadow opposite the city. 



Dr. Avery records the bird as an uncommon spring migrant, 

 arriving about March 31; and E. W. Graves noted one on 

 Sand Mountain (Jackson County), March 29, 1914. The 

 southward migration begins in July and continues until Octo- 

 ber. The first south-bound migrant was noted at Barachias, 

 July 12, 1912 (B. H. Holt), and near Montgomery, July 2S, 

 1913 (C. N. Hinderer). Golsan and Holt state that a pair 

 once remained all summer oij a large hay farm at Barachias.* 



General habits. — As its name indicates, the upland plover 

 is a bird of the dry, grassy prairies, and is never found in 

 wet marshes. It is a most attractive bird, very wary of a 

 man on foot but easily approached on horseback or in a wagon. 

 Greatly esteemed as a game bird, it has suffered severely 

 through its misplaced confidence. It breeds in isolated pairs 

 and feeds usually in scattered flocks, though sometimes a con- 

 siderable number may be found associated. When alarmed 

 the birds run swiftly through the grass, often stopping with 

 necks extended to gaze at their pursuer. They feed both in 

 grass lands and in cultivated fields, often following the plow- 

 man to pick up insects in the freshly turned furrows. 



Food habits. — The upland plover is a valuable bird to main- 

 tain on the farm, since it feeds almost exclusively on insects, 

 particularly the species infesting grass fields, such as grass- 

 hoppers, crickets, beetles, and weevils, and it is known also to 

 feed on the boll weevil. The destruction of so valuable a bird 

 for food or sport is an economic mistake, and farmers should 

 join with sportsmen in extending full protection to this 

 species, now threatened with extinction. 



SPOTTED SANDPIPER : Actitis macularia (Linnaeus) . 



State records. — The familiar spotted sandpiper is generally^ 

 distributed over the State in summer. It has been observed 

 in the breeding season in Autauga County, at Stevenson,. 

 Seale, Bayou Labatre, Petit Bois Island (one bird, June 1,. 



•The Auk, yol. 31, p. 219, 1914. 



