392 
THE LIVING WORLD. 
golden plover (Charadrias apricarius ). 
than twenty yards. This species of snipe bears a considerable resemblance to 
the woodcock, though it is not so large. The color is light brown, splotched with 
white, with stripes of grayish white, alternating with deep brown or black running 
over and along the sides 
of the head. It builds its 
nest under a tuft of grass, 
and deposits four eggs of 
an olive white, spotted with 
brown. No bird is more 
attentive to its young, the 
mother having been known 
to carry away her brood 
when threatened by inun¬ 
dation or other danger. 
When thus transferring her 
brood she takes up one at 
a time, bearing them be¬ 
tween her feet, as shown 
in the illustration. 
The Woodcock (Scalo- 
pax rusticola) is another 
well-known American game bird, found principally in the Western States. 
Some years ago it was quite plentiful, but its numbers are rapidly dimin¬ 
ishing. It is nearly equal to a quail in size, which it also resembles in color. 
The bill, how¬ 
ever, is quite 
long, and the 
eyes are situated 
nearly even with 
the crown. It is 
found in marshy 
places, where it 
feeds principally 
by boring in the 
ground. Like 
the jacksnipe, it 
is rarely seen 
until put up, 
when its flight 
is generally only 
a dash upward 
and down again 
a few paces away, 
hence only a 
snap - shot suc¬ 
ceeds in bringing 
it down. It flies 
late in the evening, in a straight line, producing a whispering noise. Its 
nesting habits and care of its young are very similar to those of the jacksnipe 
