146 
BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 
the black band of the breast again succeeded by one of white, 
shading into the color of the back upon the sides, and that, in turn, 
by still another band of black reaching to the wings, the feathers of 
the latter edged with white ; forehead, white, the band touching the 
eyes and succeeded by a black bar across the crown ; a superciliary 
line of tawny white reaching nearly to the nape ; under parts, white ; 
rump, orange-brown ; tail-feathers, except the central, white (at tips), 
orange, and black in turn, becoming white again at the base ; pri- 
maries edged and, except the first two, tipped with white ; second- 
aries, mostly, and coverts tipped with white, forming a bar. 
Length 10, wing 6.50, tail 3.80, tarsus 1.50, bill .80. 
The Kildeer Plover is an abundant winter visitant, frequenting 
the fields and marshes. One morning, w T hile sho'oting upon Nor- 
man’s Key, I killed a bird of this species, which fell about twenty 
yards from me ; but it had hardly touched the ground before a large 
Hawk, which I had not before observed, swooped suddenly down 
upon it, and seized the dead bird in his talons, but upon receiving 
the contents of my second barrel, which, unfortunately, contained 
small shot, he dropped the Plover and made off, in a dazed sort of 
manner, probably very much astonished at his reception. 
Dr. Bryant found it very abundant during the winter. Some 
few birds remain in the Bahamas throughout the year, and probably 
breed, as I have taken specimens in June in full breeding plumage. 
Fig. Aud. Bds. N. A., Vol. V. pi. 317. 
