IS9I. I 
Mackay on the Golden Plover. 
17 
THE HABITS OF THE GOLDEN PLOVER ( CHAR A - 
Id R I US D OMINIC U S) IN MASSACHUSETTS.' 
BY GEORGE H. MACKAY. 
Among the water birds which annually migrate along the 
coast of New England, none to me possesses greater interest than 
Charadrius dominicus , the American Golden Plover. One 
reason for this is its prolonged migration, extending from the 
shores of the Arctic Ocean to the Argentine Republic, and prob- 
ably to Patagonia, a distance of nearly seven thousand miles, din- 
ing which it apparently makes no stop after leaving Nova Scotia, 
unless compelled to halt by storms or hurricanes, until it reaches its 
destination. It is while making this migration that their appear- 
ance is so eagerly watched for by the many sportsmen on the New 
England coast, the great uncertainty of their landing in any con. 
siderable numbers adding much to the interest and importance of 
their capture. The reason they are not now as abundant as for- 
merly, is, first, the absence of suitable feeding ground, and 
secondly the eagerness with which they are pursued, allowing 
them no opportunity to become attached to anyone locality. 
Civilization has encroached upon and absorbed so many of the 
fields bordering on the coast, to which they used to resort, that 
there is little room now left for them. 
On the Island of Nantucket I notice a very great change in the 
amount of ground suitable for them, there being now not more 
than one-quarter as much as formerly, d his in part is due to the 
increase of the pine trees, scrub oak, bushes, and beach grass 
which have greatly encroached upon the open fields, and in part 
to the absence of considerable numbers of sheep and cattle which 
formerly roamed at large and kept down the grass; for the 
Golden Plover dislikes to alight or run in grass which is high 
enough to touch the feathers of the breast. Another cause is the 
fact that the sportsmen go out to shoot them at the commence- 
ment of the storm which causes them to seek land, and follow 
them up unceasingly until a change of weather gives the harassed 
birds an opportunity to continue their interrupted migration. 
This mode of procedure is just the reverse of what prevailed in 
former times, when few people pursued them. They were then 
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