112 THE CONDOR Vol. XX 



find yourself wading — a brown Bittern rose, and in a painfully stiff, conscious 

 pose — neck bent in and bill held pointedly straight out before it— flew over the 

 slough and disappeared. Ducks also passed over and a Black Tern beat back and 

 forth, while beautiful red prairie lilies, glowing tiger lilies of the prairie, held the 

 sum in their chalices till it was thrilling to look down into their radiant cups. 



Near the Hawk's nest, in a circle of bushes surrounding a strawberry and 

 anemone patch, I twice flushed a Short-eared Owl, and once when it rose with 

 a full mouthed muff, muff, on looking about, beside a bush I found jack rabbit 

 feet and bits of white fur. Among the low bushes on this strip of prairie, many 

 small sparrows flitted about, the Savannah singing as usual, the Clay-colored 

 giving his spicy ditty, and the Vesper adding his musical quota, while Bobolinks 

 and Western Meadowlarks contributed their lovely songs. 



But best of all the birds on this strip of prairie was the Upland Plover, 

 whose great economic importance and rapidly decreasing numbers should make 

 it the especial charge of those who are privileged to share its home. Its bub- 

 bling call first drew my attention, and after a little search I discovered a 

 brown bird running along between rows of young wheat about its height, 

 hunched over as if to make itself less conspicuous. Three others flew around 

 high over head with characteristic level flight, upheld by quick wing beats and 

 uttering notes that have been well syllabified by Langille as quip-ip-ip-ip, 

 quip-ip-ip-ip. I had found the lovely birds at last ! Besides the alarm notes, they 

 had a song of beautiful musical notes, including a run and a clear whistle. 



When I went out on the prairie, a Plover circled around me calling and, 

 after a little, putting its feet down ahead of its body, dropped down on the 

 ground, where, with long neck raised to full height above its plump form, 

 it walked around inspecting me. So intent was it on this inspection that it 

 came up within twenty feet of me, looking at me inquiringly with its big gen- 

 tle eyes, saying quip-ip-ip-ip, quip-ip-ip-ip in reproachful tones as if its feelings 

 had been hurt by my obtrusiveness. When remonstrating with me in this way it 

 held its bill so wide open that I could see down its yellow throat. The whole per- 

 formance was so strikingly comical and voluble that afterwards, when the bill 

 was closed, by contrast Bartramia seemed surprisingly self contained and reti- 

 cent. 



Walking around in front of me, presumably holding my attention for the 

 protection of a brood hidden in the grass, it would chatter and go through a 

 variety of motions, sometimes as it w r alked nodding its head like a Pipit, some- 

 times standing erect throwing its head and long bill forward with a curious 

 Heron-like spearing gesture, after wdiich it would stand with neck at an angle. 

 These various motions, if employed in the family circle must certainly be help- 

 ful to young looking for dun colored parents. And so protectively colored are 

 the Upland Plover that the young need just such help, for even the long neck 

 is inconspicuous in the grass, the dark narrow line down its back hold- 

 ing the eye so that the roundness of the lighter part fades into the background 

 and the neck is reduced almost to a grass line. The young, to whose benefit 

 all this fine w T ork of Nature accrues, in this case were undoubtedly hidden in 

 the grass not far away ; for faint whistles that I did not succeed in locating 

 were apparently answered by a loud liquid call given in quick imperative tones 

 — whapahwha or whee'tahwhah — presumably Ploverese for "Keep quiet!" A 

 second parent was probably watching the brood, for I once caught its note. As 

 1 looked about, a jack rabbit which with banners flying seemed to be all white 



