File:Birds and nature (1903) (14755325245).jpg

Identifier: birdsnature141903chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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water, a de-cided preference is manifested for wetplaces when migration is in progress. On April 13, 1901, I spent the. daynear the Kankakee river, in Illinois.While walking through a pasture I cameupon four eggs of the Killdeer, placed ina slight hollow of the sod, on a littleknoll, adjacent to a pond. The eggsrested with their points toward eachother, on a few bits of grass and stems.They were fresh, and in shape exhibitedthe pyriform type, typical of plover eggs.The markings were chiefly about the lar-ger end of the egg, and consisted of boldspots and blotches of black, upon a back-ground of ashy gray. This is the earliestbreeding date I have observed for theGreat Lake region. As I was emerging from a piece oftimber near Chicago, on June 21, 1003,I saw a Killdeer sneaking quietly awaythrough the furrow of a corn field. Themate kept up an incessant calling fromthe opposite side of the field. He feignedlameness and endeavored in every man-ner conceivable to attract my attention. 170
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imii—MllMtMWfMMf I knew from experience that either eggsor young were close to where I espiedthe female silently skulking away, andnot on the other side of the lot where bothbirds were raising such commotion. Irather doubted the possibility of findingeggs so late in the season, but I soon dis-covered four beauties, among a cluster ofpebbles, beside a hill of corn. The par-ent birds had made a slight hollow in thesoft black earth, around which they hadarranged in an artistic fashion fragmentsof decayed wood and roots. Surroundedby little stones, the eggs harmonized in color, and although the nest was in anexposed condition from all sides, theymight easily have escaped the eye of thecasual observer. This set of eggs have aclay-colored background, upon whichlarge scrawls and pen lines of darkbrown and black form peculiar markingsover almost the entire surface. They arepear-shaped, very pointed, and areslightly concaved near the small end.Their size is 1.50 inches long by 1.10inches. Th

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