Killdeer Plover at Cambridge, Mass.— On November 15, 1913, 
during the Harvard-Yale freshman football game, two Killdeer' Plover 
(' Oxyechus vociferus ) alighted on the field while the game was in progress. 
It was during the third period of the game that the plover, calling shrilly, 
flew over the crowd. Several of the students whistled in reply. The birds 
circled around for a moment, and then alighted in the very middle of the 
field, — not forty yards away from the struggling players. Hardly had the 
birds folded their wings, when the Harvard stand burst out cheering for 
their team; this was too much for the plover and calling once or twice, they 
flew up and away. 
This incident is most singular, not only because of the unnatural behavior 
on the part of the plover, but because Killdeer are extremely rare migrants 
io’ • r> . /th 
Killdeer ( Oxyechus vociferus vociferus) in Massachusetts. — -Upon the 
authority of many of the older ornithological writers it is evident that this 
species bred in earlier years at various widely separated stations in the 
state of Massachusetts. In more recent years however, it has become 
rare, so much so, as to make its occurrence noteworthy. It is with a sense 
of pleasure and satisfaction that at this time I can submit evidence of an 
increase in its numbers and frequency in this northeastern portion of the 
State at least, an increase due quite probably to the better protective laws 
now in force. The following notes briefly record its occurrence in a region 
where it has been absent for a number of years. 
West Newbury, Mass., May 24, 1915, 5.30 a. m. While walking along a 
road in the open country I was attracted by the petulant cry of a Killdeer 
Plover, and in a moment discovered the bird flying low and coming toward 
me. He alighted about 60 yards distant in an open pasture, offering me a 
very good view, and an opportunity to identify him with certainty if his 
voice had not been sufficiently convincing. After a few moments of erratic 
running about in the open pasture he took flight in a southerly direction. 
West Newbury, Mass., Sept. 6, 1915 — 3 p.m. Three Killdeer Plover 
noted flying northward at great heights, their unmistakable notes bespeak- 
ing their presence and identity. 
West Newbury, Mass., Oct. 18, 1915 — 11 p. m. Hear the notes of 
Killdeer Plover overhead, presumably from several birds migrating. 
Newburyport, Mass., May 5, 1916. Two Killdeers walking about on 
ploughed fields. 
June 23, 1916. Probably the same birds seen again in the same field. 
Jan. 24, 1916. About a half mile from the above mentioned field heard 
the notes of a Killdeer and on investigation found four adult birds, running 
about erratically and uneasily amid the sparse grass of the pasture; They 
allowed me, however, to approach quite closely and I had an excellent 
opportunity to observe their coloring. By an odd coincidence, in making 
my way back to the road, and about 300 yards from where the Killdeer 
were seen, I flushed three Upland Plover ( Bartramia longicauda). These 
last have been sufficiently scarce of late to make their occurrence interest- 
ing. 
June 28, 1916. In the same locality as above mentioned, saw one Kill- 
deer Plover. — S. W. Bailey, Pittsfield, Mass. 
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