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112 THE CONDOR . Vol. XX find yourself wading--a brown Bittern rose, and in a painfully stiff, conscious pose-neck bent in and bill held pointedly straight out before it--flew over the slough and disappeared. Ducks also passed over and a Black Tern beat back and forth, while beautiful red prairie lilies, glowing tiger lilies of the prairie, held the sun in their chalices till it was thrilling to look down into their radiant cups. Near the Hawk's nest, in a circle of bushes surrounding a strawberry and anemone patch, I twice flushed a Short-cared Owl, and once when it rose with a full mouthed muff, muff, on looking about, beside a bush I found jack rabbit feet and bits of white fur. Among the low bushes on this strip of prairie, many small sparrows flitted about, the Savannah singing as usual, the Clay-colored giving his spicy ditty, and ?he Vesper adding his musical quota, while Bobolinks and 'Western Meadowlarks contributed their lovely songs. But best of all the birds on this strip of prairie was the Upland Plover, whose great economic importance and rapidly decreasing numbers should make it the especial charge of those who are privileged to share its home. Its bub- bling call first drew my attention, and after a little search I discovered a brown bird running along between rows of young wheat about its height, hunched over as if to make itself less conspicuous. Three others flew around high over head with characteristic level flight, upheld by quick wing beats and uttering notes that have been well syllabified by Langille as quip-ip-ip-ip, qu?p-ip-ip-ip. I had found the lovely birds at last ! Besides the alarm notes, they had a song of beautiful musical notes, including a run and a clear whistle. When I went out on the prairie, a Plover circled around me calling and, after a little, putting its feet down ahead of its body, dropped down on the ground, where, with long neck raised to full height above its plump form, it walked around inspecting me. So intent was it on this inspection that it came up within twenty feet of me, looking at me inquiringly with its big gen- tle eyes, saying quip-ip-ip-ip, quip-ip-ip-ip in reproachful tones as if its feelings had been hurt by my obtrusiveness. When remonstrating with me in this way it held its bill so wide open that I could se? down its yellow throat. The whole per- formance was so strikingly comical and voluble that afterwards, when the bill was closed, by contrast Bartramia seemed surprisingly self contained and reti- cent. Walking around in front of me, presumably holding my attention for the protection of a brood hidden in the grass, it would chatter and go through a variety of motions, sometimes as it walked nodding its head like a Pipit, some- timcs standing erect throwing its head and long bill forward with a curious Heron-like spearing'gesture, after which it would stand with neck at an angie. These various motions, if employed in the family circle must certainly be help- ful to young looking for dun colored parents. And so protectively colored are the Upland Plover that the young need just such help, for even the long neck is inconspicuous in the grass, the dark narrow line down its back hold- ing the eye so titat the roundness of the lighter part fades into the background and the neck is reduced almost to a grass line. The young, to whose benefit all this fine work of Nature accrues, in this case were undoubtedly hidden in the grass not far away; for faint whistles that I did not succeed in locating were apparently answered by a loud liquid call given in quick imperative tones --whapahwha or whee'tahwhah--presumably Ploverese for "Keep quiet. t" A second parent was probably watching the brood, for I once caught its note. As [ looked about, a jack rabbit which with banners flying seemed to be all white