the: WILSON BULLETIN 
A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY 
VOL. XXXIV DECEMBER, 1922 NO. 4 
OLD SERIES VOL. XXXIV. NEW SERIES VOL. XXIX 
SHORT NOTES ON THE LIFE HISTORIES 
OF VARIOUS SPECIES OF BIRDS 
BY IRA N. GABRIELSON 
A few notes on the Migrant" Shrike, intended to appear with this 
paper, were in some way separated and published in the Wilson Bulletin, 
Vol. 33, page 67.~* 
During a number of years of studying the life history of 
birds, particularly that part correlated with the breeding season, 
a quantity of short notes and uncompleted studies of nest life 
have accumulated. It Is proposed to publish them under the 
above title. Our knowledge of the intimate life history of even 
the commonest species of birds is far from complete and it is 
Iioped that these fragmentary notes may encourage others to 
make complete studies of these and other species of birds. 
Killdeer (OxyecJius vociferus vociferus) 
Although the Killdeer is perhaps the most common shore- 
bird in the LTnited States little has been published concerning 
its behavior. I have a few notes on courtship and nesting that 
were made in northAvestern Iowa. 
The behavior during courtship was witnessed on several oc- 
casions. On April 6, 1910, I came upon a pair going through this 
performance. The male had taken his station some distance 
from the female and at intervals whirled rapidly about uttering 
a curious stuttering note as he did so. Every feAV seconds the 
female advanced a feAv steps toAvard the male but when he stopped 
to observe the effect of his display she quickly turned her back 
and appeared perfectly indifferent. This Avas repeated several 
times until the female suddenly flew away. 
In this region the favorite nesting place was at the base of 
a hill of corn. As a usual thing little or no attempt Avas made to 
build a nest — a few pebbles and bits of corn husks being the 
usual type. This material is seldom concentrated into a nest 
but is scattered over an area of one or more square feet, the eggs 
being deposited on the ground at some point within this area. 
In many instances the parents show little concern for the nest, 
