42 DECEMBER OUT-OF-DOORS. 
fence, such as no rambler ever encountered 
without at least a temptation to profanity, 
we caught sight of a flock of about a dozen 
of the same unknown plovers. This was 
good fortune indeed. We had no firearms, 
nor even a pinch of salt, and coming shortly 
to a ditch, too wide for leaping and too deep 
for cold-weather fording, we were obliged 
to content ourselves with opera-glass inspec- 
tion. Six of the birds were grouped ina 
little plot of grass, standing motionless, like 
so many robins. Their novelty and their 
striking appearance, with two conspicuous 
black bands across the breast, their loud 
cries, and their curious movements and at- 
titudes were enough to drive a pair of en- 
thusiasts half crazy. We looked and looked, 
and then reluctantly turned away. On get- 
ting home we had no difficulty in determin- 
ing their identity, and each at once sent off 
to the other the same verdict, — ‘‘killdeer 
plover.” 
This, as I say, was on the 28th of Novem- 
ber. Onthe 3d of December we were again 
at Nahant, eating our luncheon upon the 
veranda of some rich man’s deserted cottage, 
and at the same time enjoying the sunshine 
and the beautiful scene. 
