482 Mr. F. E. Blaauw on the 



them in all their wild little ways. For instance, if I passed 

 at some distance from the nest without apparently noticing 

 it, the sitting bird would lie quite flat, stretching head and 

 neck before her on the ground in the way Kentish Plovers 

 are apt to do. If I stopped at some distance from the nest 

 and for a time turned my back to it, I invariably found, 

 when I turned round, that the birds were gone and were 

 very conspicuous a good way off. 



In the pond near the nest a quantity of papyrus [Cyperus 

 pungens) grew, and whilst incubation was going on one of the 

 birds, I believe the male (but am not quite sure, as they 

 are so very much alike that I oidy know them when seen 

 together), was often busy breaking up the stalks of one of the 

 biggest tufts of papyrus and making a platform of them. I 

 Avondered at the time what the object was, but we shall see 

 later that he knew very well what he was about. 



On the 14th of June the first egg was hatched, and the 

 head of the chick was often visible peeping from under its 

 parent's wing. As the bird remained on the nest notwith- 

 standing the chick, I had great hopes that the second egg 

 would be hatched, and, as luck would have it, this was 

 the case, for two days later number two also broke its 

 shell. 



The weather was w arm and sunny, and as soon as the second 

 chick was strong enough, the parents began to lead both of 

 them about, diligently feeding them with earthworms. If I 

 came upon them by surprise the old bird would make a sharp 

 noise and the chicks would then run away and hide amongst 

 the tall-growing weeds. One day I surprised the family in 

 a corner of the garden from which there was no exit without 

 passing in full view of me. The male ran up to me, rushed 

 past me and began to mimic a wounded bird, tumbling about 

 in a desperate way and advancing all the while in a direction 

 opposite to that where I surprised the family. I followed 

 the bird, and apparently when he found that he had led me 

 away far enough (the female having in the meantime stolen 

 away with the chicks) he suddenly gave up the game, sprang 



