PLOVERS H5 



Dauphin and Petit Bois Islands, July 4 and 5, 1913, I saw a 

 number of these plovers, and on Horn Island, Mississippi, 

 collected breeding adults and downy young. Peters saw about 

 4 birds on Petit Bois Island, June 1 to 5, 1914, but could not 

 find a nest. On both the islands Outsell found this plover 

 fairly common late in August. I found it numerous on the 

 west point of Dauphin Island, February 13, 1912, and ob- 

 served 2 individuals there May 19, 1911. A few were seen 

 also on the beach near the mouth of Perdido Bay, January 

 25, 1912. 



General habits. — This is the palest of the small American 

 plovers and so closely does it resemble the white sands on 

 which it lives that it is with difficulty detected, even when 

 running. As it glides swiftly over the sand it resembles a 

 shadow more than it does a bird. It is ordinarily rather quiet, 

 but its note is described as a soft, musical whistle. Goss 

 found this plover breeding on the salt plains along the Cimar- 

 ron River, southern Kansas ; the nest was a mere depression 

 in the sand, without protection or shelter, and contained 3 in- 

 cubated eggs on June 18.* 



Food habits. — The food of this bird, as shown by examina- 

 tion of 7 stomachs taken in Alabama, consists of small crusta- 

 ceans, moUusks, marine worms, aquatic insects, and seeds. 



WILSON PLOVER : PagoUa vnlsonia wilsonia (Ord) .f 



State records. — The Wilson plover is a common summer 

 resident on the islands and sand bars along the coast. Ap- 

 parently it leaves its summer home rather early, as Outsell re- 

 marked its absence from Dauphin Island after August 10, 

 where previously to that date it had been common. It had 

 not returned from the south when I visited the island on 

 February 13, 1912, but on March 22 I found half a dozen pairs 

 or more in their customary haunts. The birds were common 

 also on the islands in Mississippi Sound, May 16 to 23, 1911, 

 July, 1913, and June, 1914. 



General habits.-^Thia plover is a little larger than the pip- 

 ing plover and has a decidedly larger bill. Its notes are 



*Ros« N S Birds of Kansaa, p. 217, 1891. 



tOAtho^omns "ttwnta. of the A. O. U. Check-Hat: for change of iia«« see The 

 Auk, vol. 87, p. 279. 1929. 



