THE JERSEY COAST. 233 



"Do you know what Frnnk Forester says on the 

 subject ?" 



Feehiig iny reputation rising a Httle, I resumed : 

 "He confuses fi-ost-bird and grass-plover, quoting 

 Audubon as his autliority ; but he points out the 

 distinctive peculiarity of the plover." 



"If lie thinks a grass-plover and a fi-ost-bird are 

 aUke, he knows very little of his subject. Why, the 

 frost-bird stools admirably, while the plover never 

 stools at all." 



"Not so fast! Frank Forester was a splendid 

 writer, and upon matters with which he was familiar 

 he was thorough. He has conferred an immense favor 

 upon the American s^^orting world ; but where he 

 had not personal experience — and no one can know 

 everything — he had to rely upon others. He has 

 done as much to correct and elevate sportsmanship 

 in this country, to introduce a proper vocabulary, 

 and to enforce obedience to gentlemanly rules, as 

 any man possibly could. As a body, we owe it to 

 him that we are sportsmen, and not pot-hunters. 

 Probably in some places the grass-plover is called a 

 frost-bird." 



" I have more faith in Giraud, and would like to 

 hear what he can tell us about the golden-plov^er, 

 unless he says that is a sandpiper also." 



" He begins with a description of the black- bellied 

 plover, which is known to us as bull-head, the cha- 

 radrius helvetlcus^ and then describes the American 

 golden-plover, or charadrius pluvialis^ and uses 

 these words : ' It is better known to our gunners by 



