Proceedings. 69 



Shyer by far than all these were the Kentish Plovers, and 

 it was only by very carefully examining the distant shingle 

 with telescope that perhaps one or two might be seen. 

 Watching thus for some time, and making no movement, we 

 could plainly see several birds gradually approaching their 

 nests, and eventually settling down on the eggs. Without 

 any further trouble we were able to simply walk up to two 

 Lesser Terns' nests, each containing two eggs (three is the 

 full number), and we could have photographed as many 

 Common Terns' nests as we wished. 



The eggs of the Kentish Plover, however, required some 

 little searching for, as the timidity of the birds had not 

 allowed us to take as many bearings of the nest as we should 

 have desired. The eggs of this bird are decidedly rare, as 

 they only breed at a very few spots on our coast ; they are 

 laid sometimes on the bare shingle, but in this case in an old 

 Tern's nest, and are beautifully scrawled over with black 

 markings. 



Carlo was now birdnesting on his own account, and showed 

 us many Terns' nests with one or two, and sometimes three, 

 eggs. Keturning to Lydd, we just had time to photograph 

 a Ringed Plover's nest on the shingle not far from the village 

 before dusk set in. 



The four eggs were laid in the usual star- shape, and were 

 almost as hard as any to distinguish among the stones, and, 

 although only a few feet from them, and looking straight at 

 them, as we presently found, it was some time before we all 

 caught sight of them, owing to their marvellous similarity to 

 the pebbles around. 



Mr. Salmon exhibited eggs of the Norfolk Plover, Common 

 Tern, and other species. He also reproduced a portion of 

 the Kentish coast showing the Terns' eggs laid amongst the 

 pebbles. 



