434 GEALLATORES. 



molluscous animals of various kinds. These they 

 seek in the evening or by night. Their flight is 

 strong and rapid, but does not extend far at a time ; 

 they sometimes run with great swiftness. Their 

 note is a plaintive whistle often repeated. The nest 

 is a slight hollow, lined with a few stems of dry 

 grass. The eggs are usually four in number, and 

 when they are hatched, the parents protect the young 

 brood with great courage and cunning till they are 

 able to fly. If disturbed by an enemy, they gene- 

 rally run for some distance from the nest, and then 

 usually pretend that they are wounded, tumbling 

 over on the ground, or feigning lameness. 



The type of this sub-family is — 



The Ringed Plover (Clmradrius Hiaticula), a small 

 and prettily- marked bird, found throughout the year upon 

 all the coasts of Great Britain. 



