154 
her brooding without more ado. With a dog, however, such tactics are 
useless, and the Plover flies shrieking away from the nest on foot, wings 
dragging brokenly, legs trailing helplessly, and all in a flutter of terrified 
helplessness. The dog dashes at the apparently disabled bird which only 
just escapes the snap of the excited jaws. Another dash is also seemingly 
miraculously evaded and the bird manages to flutter a few rods away to 
repeat the manoeuver again and again, always leading away from the nest 
and each time nearly but not quite caught. When the enemy is thus by 
false hopes decoyed far from the nest the Killdeer gets suddenly well and 
strong and leaves her would-be devourer to dine elsewhere whilst she returns 
to her duties. It is an old, old game, yet ever new, not altogether peculiar 
to the Killdeer, and so nearly always successful that the species persists and 
thrives in spite of dog, fox, coyote, or cat. 
274. Semipalmated Plover. American ringed or ring-necked plover. Charadrius 
semipalmatus. L, 6-75. A very small Plover almost as small as a “Peep," of general 
resemblance to the Killdeer (See Plate XXI A), but with 
one instead of two black breast-bands (Figure 179) and with- 
out the ochraceous rump and tail. Autumn birds are similar 
but the colours are washed out and faded, especially the blacks 
about head. Legs and base of bill warm yellow. Tip of 
bill black. 
Distinctions. The smaller size would prevent any con- 
fusion with the Killdeer even if the single instead of double 
breast-band and the dark rump and tail were not determin- 
ative. On the prairies most likely to be confused with the 
Piping Plover which resembles it in both colour and size. 
Considerably darker than that species, the back being the 
colour of wet, instead of dry, sand. Adult with black bar 
from base of bill to cheeks (compare Figure 179 with 180). 
Juvenile with cheeks brown instead of faintly greyish as in 
the case of the Piping Plover. 
Field Marks. Often accompanying Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers and resem- 
bling them in size, but distinguished from them by the decided breast-band. The dark 
coloration, especially of the cheeks, of the adult, will separate from the Piping. 
Distribution. North and South America. Breeds in the Arctics, across the continent 
south to southern Mackenzie, the Yukon, and Queen Charlotte islands. Migrates 
throughout southern Canada. 
A pretty little Plover frequenting both mud-flats and sandy beaches. 
In the autumn, the early migrating adults with their sharply-defined mark- 
ings are distinctly noticeable in contrast with the duller more blended 
juveniles that come later. Closely related to the Ring Plover of Europe, 
from which it may be separated only by smaller size and a few minor details. 
Figure 179 
Semipalmated Plover; 
scale, 
277. Piping Plover. Charadrius meloda. L, 7 > 10. Very much like the Semipalmated 
Plover in pattern and size, but much lighter and with no black bar through face. Legs 
and base of bill orange yellow. Tip of bill black. (Figure 
180, compare with 179.) 
Distinctions. To be commonly mistaken only for the 
Semipalmated Plover, but much less common and less 
generally distributed. Above — even, light, ashy grey, the 
colour of dry, instead of wet. sand. Adult: no black bar 
through face and the juvenile with faintly greyish cheeks 
instead of brown. The breast-band may be broken in the 
middle or, in juvenility, very poorly defined. 
Field Marks. A small peep-like Wader, with very short 
bill and a more or less well-defined breast-band. Very much 
paler than the Semipalmated, especially about the face. Its 
Figure 180 melodious little whistle has suggested the specific name meloda. 
Piping Plover; scale. $. This is the only small Ringed Plover breeding on the prairies. 
