The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-09

agree. is one Of the most remarkable little
creatures In tho whole bird realm the
American golden plover. Much ~ the
knowledge that man has acquired ~ the
travels ~ this bird il recent and scientists
are still trying TO establish short connect
ing links in it, known itinerary, which is
broken on IT," northern bound trip in one
place and in one place on The southern bound
trip.
For this purpose obseI vBtions are being
made at a series Of posts ia British Guiana
this month and in portions of Brazil md
along the coast Of the Iattar country to
ascertain what course il pursued by the
bird after striking the northern coast Of
South America To reach it's winter home,
hundreds Of miles further down the ron
tinent. II Is halievsd that this course is
over the land and almost directly sOutherly.
but this detail will not he accepted by science
until established By direct testimony.
The United States Government regards
the story of the golden plovsr a. of such
importance to natural history that its
agents have made a careful study Of the
bird.
After having spent the months Of October,
November, December, January n Feb
ruary, which constitute the summer of the
Southern Hemisphere. in Argentina, Para
quay. Uruguay aud the northern part of
Patagonia, the American golden plover's
thoughts begin To- turn 10 its annual tour.
Through the length and breadth Of plover-
dom sound the ttdlngs OF the approhchira,
trip.
A few days after they have made up
their minds that II il time TO be on the
plover begin to leave their winter home
crossing Bolivia. a corner of Brazil. a corner
Of Peru, through Ecuador up close to the
Colombian boundary. Here is where one
of the breaks, so far "a mans information
is concerned, occurs.
Whether the plover strike out across the
neck of the Pacific to the coast Of the upper
end of Central America, or proceed through
Colombia and by the Isthmus IL not de-
cisively determined. Belief inclines TO the
latter theory and is founded principally on
the fact that the northern bound journey
ia evidently an all Ian trip, with the eK-
ception Of the Gulf crossing.
At any rate, IL We lose the trail of the
plover in the upper part Of Ecuador We
are able almost Immediately TO pick il up in
Guatemala, for the bird reaches that little
republic in a day or two. Across the
Yrcatan peninsula, and then, with its course
now tending almost due north. the ploveT
essays the passage of the Gulf Of Mexico.
The month Of March is on the wane when
the travellers get their first glimpse of the
United States. The country must appear
good to their eyes, for the birds do not hurry
along at this stage, but occupy an entire
month crossing the land from south 10
north, visiting in their course he States
Of Texas, Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas
and Oklahoma.
After having trailed the prairies OF the
Mississippi the birds cross the northern
boundary about the drst Of May. Nor do
they here show q disposition to hasten, for
a month or i've weeks elapses before they
appear on the Arctic coast and the islands
there Astounding.
This summer home of the plover is not
| altogether an attractive place for an outing.
It is within the Arctic circle and far above
the tree line. II is described as q bleak
windswept, barren country, yet some OF
the birds venture 1000 miles further north
than the headquarters of the main detach-
ment, and II Is among the records Of Greely
that he found them at latitude 81 north.
Here are the breeding grounds. Here
I the plover take up their family cares. With
the lakes still frozen they quickly fashion
nests Of moss a few inches from the ground
! uNIHFN lINh VhkEs W. yOuuKs III
August the little ones are ready TO try their
wings and the appetiteS Of the older birds
demand some more dainty food than they
have had to subsist upon since their advent
in the north.
The family thereupon take to fight and
proceed to the coast of Labrador. where
they rovel in things that tick Il the bird
palate. The stunted vegetation found there
includes the crowberry, of which the plover
are excessively fond, and they indulge in il
to such an extent that their very fes h
Gems n absorb the color.
Having enjoyed the delicRciea Of barren
Labrador for a few weeks and having
reached a state Of extreme HEtness the
plover are ready n think Of tho trip back IN
Argentina with the young cres. II might
he expected thai the birds would follow the
course by which they came, but they do
not.
Crossing the upper end Of Hudson Ray,
where the young get their first taste Of
long distance flight over water, the birds
make straight for Nova Scotia, whence they
go direct out TO sea and steer their
course for the easternmost OF the West
Indian islands.
Eighteen hundred miles OF ocean lias he
tween Nova Scotia and the northern coast
Of South America for which the birds are
headed and the first opportunity they have
10 land and rest Is at Bermuda, 800 miles