228 Messrs. H. Seebohm and J. A. Harvie Brown on 



the top of a hummock, one of a ridge of dark peaty loam ; 

 and the eggs are much darker. At the first nest to-day 

 the birds were remarkably silent, and the female only once 

 or twice uttered the single note before going onto the 

 nest. The males generally arrive in the vicinity of the nest 

 after the females do, remain stationary in one spot for a long 

 time, and when the females settle on the nests, take wing and 

 fly ofi*. The males appear darker to the eye, blacker-breasted, 

 and whiter over the eye ; but some females are much darker 

 than others, and are nearly as dark as some males. As the 

 season advances, the males retain their full plumage longer, 

 whilst the female becomes much lighter, and the black on 

 the breast becomes narrower. 



"25th July. — At 150 yards distance a female appeared 

 of a dull grey colour ; and at 15 yards only a narrow strip 

 of black on the breast was discernible; but at 150 yards the 

 breast of the male seemed as black as ever. 



^^It was trying work to-day waiting to find these nesta; 

 the mosquitoes swarmed over our hats and veils and clothes. 

 As we lay looking along the ridges and across the hollows, 

 they seemed like a mist on the tundra, and the unceasing 

 hum of the legions around us dulled the sounds of the smaller 

 bird-voices further off. They got inside our veils, they crept 

 up our cavalry gauntlets and bit our wrists, or searched 

 patiently for openings in the sewing, and they found out rents 

 and thin places in our clothes. They blinded us with their 

 legions, deafened us with their hum, nearly beat us off by 

 their force of character and determination. 



" 12th July. — Later in the day Seebohm and I watched 

 another pair of Grey Plovers ; but on this occasion, as with 

 the last pair of birds, the male showed more finesse and 

 anxiety than the female. We failed in marking the female 

 to the nest, but went forward to the places where we had 

 respectively seen her twice disappear. As it afterwards turned 

 out, Seebohm went about 20 yards too far to the left, and I 

 about the same to the right. Both birds flew round us in 

 circles. I concluded that they had young, and Seebohm that 

 they had eggs. We had despaired of finding them, eggs or 



