100 



mon north to latitude 35° ; and only occasional up to southern Illinois. 

 In Texas it does not ordinarily winter north of latitude 33°. This is the 

 first plover to move northward, asually keeping but a few days behind 

 the Ducks, Blackbirds, and Eobins. In the spring of 1884 Killdeer com- 

 menced their journey as usual in the latter part of February, but did 

 not make much progress during that month. A single one was seen at 

 Caddo, Ind. Ter., February 22, but it was a week later before the general 

 advance began. At San Angelo, Tex., Mr. Lloyd's report states: "Al- 

 though many stay here all winter, they have been arriving in great 

 numbers since March 1, and will breed in a week or so." Fresh eggs 

 were found at Eagle Pass, Tex., March 18, and at San Angelo from 

 March 9 to June 24. This wave of March 1 reached Gainesville, Tex., 

 and Gadclo, Ind. Ter., March 5 and 6, making the species quite common; 

 but the bulk did not arrive until March 11, by which time the first had 

 traveled to Saint Louis, Mo. ; Odin, 111. ; Ellis, Kans. ; and Manhattan, 

 Kans. Here then we have the van of migration stretching in an almost 

 straight line due east and west for 700 miles. The northern limit of the 

 area over which the Kildeer wintered is a line curving southward as it 

 passes to the west, but the first spring wave started earlier in the West 

 than near the Mississippi, and by March 11 they were even all along the 

 line. From here the advance in Illinois took place March 13, and a cor- 

 responding advance in Iowa March 16 to latitude 42°. March 23 and 

 24 there was an advance all along the line to latitude 43° 47' in eastern 

 Wisconsin ; to latitude 45° in Minnesota and western Wisconsin near 

 the Mississippi ; to latitude 43° 48' in western Minnesota, and up the Mis- 

 souri river to latitude 42° 56' in Dakota. Continuing northward in the 

 West, they were observed at latitude 44° 21' in Dakota on March 27, and 

 April 14, had passed on up the Missouri to Menoken, Dak., latitude 

 46° 58'. April 23 they were at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. 



In the fall of 1884 the last Kildeer left Des Moines, Iowa, August 15. 

 At Mount C arm el, Mo., the first migrant was seen August 30, and the 

 last October 1. 



In the spring of 1885 the record began with two irregular occurrences: 

 February 28 it was reported from Eichmond, Kans., and Odin, 111. 

 The regular advance was as follows: Corinth, Miss., March 1 ; Saint 

 Louis, Mo., and Ellsworth, Kans., March 2; Shawneetown, 111., March 

 4; Paris, 111., March 5; Glasgow, Mo., March 10; Uuadilla, Nebr., 

 March 11; Ferry, Iowa, March 12. And on March 14 it appeared at 

 Des Moines, Laporte City (two observers) and Newton, Iowa, and at 

 Tampico (two observers) and Hennepin, 111. From March 25 to 26 a 

 slight advance was made to Batavia, 111., Delavan, Wis., and Einmets- 

 burgh, Iowa. March 31 and April 1 the Kildeer, with thousands of other 

 birds, made a long journey, appearing at Clinton, Milwaukee, Lake 

 Mills, Leeds Centre, New Cassel, and New Eichmond, Wis. ; Heron 

 Lake, Minn., and Huron, Dak. (two observers). It was reported April 

 4 at Argusville, Dak., and April 17 at Oak Point, Manitoba. 



