Hohnesdale Natural History Club. 6l 



Bagshot streams, dull and slow, not fresh and free and brilliant as the 

 Wandle. 



Mr. Tyndall illustrated his paper by a coloured map of Surrey, showing 

 the eounty divided according to its various river systems. 



Mr. J. B. Crosfleld read a paper as follows, entitled " A Visit to the 

 Haunts of the Kentish Plover." 



On the 29th May last I paid a visit to the sea coast, east of Eye, in the 

 hope of having an opportunity of seeing the Kentish plover, a species that 

 I have long wished to become acquainted with. In these islands this in- 

 teresting and beautiful little bird is only met with on the flat shingly 

 ■coasts of Kent and Sussex ; and the wide expanse of shingle between Rye 

 and Dungeness seems to be the district that suits it best. I kept a sharp 

 look-out while walking over the flat country between Rye and the sea, but 

 though I saw and heard many plovers, both in little flocks and singly, I 

 always found them on examination to be the common ring plover. After 

 walking a mile or two along the beach, I at la3t saw a pair that I strongly 

 suspected to be Kentish plovers, and as I succeeded in getting a tolerably 

 good view of them through my glass, I was soon able to confirm my expec- 

 tations. I subsequently saw several others flying about over the shingle, 

 which stretched away far inland. I expected it was just the right date for 

 their eggs, and spent a long time in the search, although as there were 

 hundreds of acres of shingle, all, so far as one could judge, almost equally 

 adapted to the liking of the birds, the chance of coming upon them seemed 

 Almost hopeless. My attention was specially drawn to one pair which kept 

 flying round me in wide circles, and occasionally alighting on the shingle, 

 all the time uttering their whistling note, which is at once distinguishable 

 from that of the ring plover, being much less shrill and plaintive. They also 

 used another quick note, not a whistle, and still another frequently uttered, 

 ■which is perhaps best described by the sound " trirr," as rendered in 

 Dresser's " Birds of Europe." While flying round, the birds seemed very 

 agitated, and constantly trailed their wings almost on the ground, as I have 

 seen the ring plover do when alarmed on account of its young. This was 

 generally if not always done as the bird was flying away from me. I felt 

 satisfied they must have eggs or young, probably the latter, quite close at 

 hand, and by watching closely the movements of the birds, they gradually 

 gave me a clue to the spot, and I presently heard a feeble chirping like that 

 of a young chicken. Even then it was difficult to find the right direction, 

 and when I seemed to be absolutsly cloce to them, I could not immediately 

 discover them, so close did they lie, and so nearly resemble the surrounding 

 stones. There were two, lying a few inches apart, not yet able to run, 

 and I should judge hardly a day old, but I could find no eggshells any. 

 where near. They were beautiful little creatures, mottled with grey, and 

 ■of course quite covered with down. The legs were leaden-coloured, and 

 presented a decided contrast to the orange legs of the ring plover, of which 



