Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-06-07

ing first from one bog or stone 10 anolher,
as if disdaining to soil his immaculate garo
with the oozy soil where he must feed. A
penniless dandy walking down a muddy
street TO seek his breakfast in some cheap
restaurant would carry himself in just that
way. Back in the fields his elegance is a
trifle less noticeable, perhaps, but since
the sort OF titbits he Graves are found in
slime and mud he must search for them
there, in spite OF his apparent dislike for
anything mclean.
He is an epicure, too, and enjoys good
meal as well as the next bird. During
the warmest part OF the day, after feeding
all the morning, he likes to take SieSia
while digesting his breakfast and awaiting
his supper of worms and bugs that come
out in the cool of the evening. He stands
on one leg in patch OF dry gravel or on
a SUM- warmed stone, near enough to the
water so that when he opensa sleepy eye
he can admire his own reflection in the
mirror before him. AT least, that is his
favorite attitude on sunny afternoons.
Perhaps in those daydreams he reflects
on his own good looks and trusts TO them
for protection while he "snoozes."
have admired the little killdeer al
distance every summer have seen him.
Still, his aloofneSs and his self -sufficency
rather kept me in awe OF him, so TO speak,
and never really felt that knew him.
Always seeing him with his society man
ner on, wanted TO know him more in
timatelY by visiting him at home with his
family. Last year, however, ! made my
North Dakota trip in May, and saw quite
different killdeer from the one that had
always observed in August.
Every time went into the pasture
found solitary killdeers fitting about
everywhere, with other thoughts under
their big caps than food. 1t was SPRING
time, and killdeer must prance up and
down for sheer love of living, and for his
exuberant delight in knowing that the
mate he had chosen was quietly brooding
her eggs somewhere not far away.
Whenever approached certain spot
in the pasture where it bordered wheat
field and ran down into little boggy
pond, | noticed that one OF these little
princes OF dandies would suddenly appear
from nowhere and fly round above me,
calling out shrill, incessant "Klll-dee,
kill-dee, dee, dee, dee!"
There must be nest around here" |
decided, after few days OF this ccmmo-
ton, and commenced searching for it.
Starting at the corner OF the pasture, |
went diagonally across it, from wheat
field TO pond and back again, and all the
while the anxious bird circled round
above my head. had made eighteen or
twenty OF these closely parable lines
when all at once flushed killdeer's wife
herself from the ground. She joined her
mate and crcled about me, shrieking as
plaintively as he; and had my conscience
not been free Of any intent 10 harm them,
their alarm and grief would have caused
me TO abandon the search. Feeling that
my curiosity could do them no real harm,
| kept on with my plan.
Soon had found the nest, or rather the
nesting site-a mere hollow with a few
sticks and pebbles roughly outlining a
frame for the eggs. II was the eggs rather
than the nest that attracted my attention;
there were four OF them, each as rich in
color as spriugtime butter, and with their
sharply pointed ends autographed all over
with scrawls and blotches as OF faded
black ink.
As stood looking at the eggs. the
mother-or at least chose TO believe il
was she-suddenly dropped down on the
ground almost at my feet. For moment
| was deceived into thinking that she was
really dying, but as soon as stopped
10 pick her up she deity eluded my hand
with several wild flops that carried her
considerable distance away from the nest.
Then | realized that was being favor
ed with show OF that deceit with which
bird mothers often seek 10 protect their
young; and to study this phase oil killderr
tactics obligingly followed her. The
poor, lame, winged creature
promised capture if | would only pursue
her, but she slYly kept just out OF my
reach in spite OF her lamentable condi-
tion. On and on she tumbled and tottered
until was some yards from the nest.
Then, with twitter OF victory, which |
could not begrudge her, she spread her
wings and flew quickly away toward the
pond. As for killdeer himself, he hover
ed above us all the way, crying his alarm
aud then his relief.
retraced my steps as well as could,
but long before | found the nest again,
the parents were back circling above me
and calling piteously. To relieve their
distress went away. but every day there
after made short call on Mrs. Killdeer.
She never grew accustomed to me, and
would try 10 toll me away, or scold me
away, all the while | fingered near the
nest. was anxious, however, TO see
baby killdeer newly hatched, and did not
let her anxiety prevent my daily visit {;
but to spare the mother any undue worry,
made practice OF standing aflr off and
studying the eggs through my opera glass
One forenoon, when made my usual
call, the Matching was on. The little ones
were already drying themselves in the
sun, and TO my astonishment were daintily
pecking at their discarded shells, taking
a cargo of grit aboard in preparation for
the real feeding that they must soon have.
The mother, too, who did not leave the
vicinity of the nest for long even 10 scold