WATCHING RINGED PLOVERS, ETC. 23 



a fine orange colour, and the male's drawing himself 

 up so as to display them more fully, and then 

 moving them quickly in this way before the female, 

 suggests that they are appreciated by her. But it 

 is not only the legs that are thus well exhibited. 

 By drawing up the head, the throat, in which soft 

 pure white and velvet black are boldly and richly 

 contrasted, as well as the little smudged pug face 

 and the bright orange-yellow bill, are all shown off 

 to advantage. 



The wings, however, in the instance which I ob- 

 served and noted at the time, were kept closed. I 

 can hardly think this is always the case. If it is, it 

 may be because, though pretty enough — indeed lovely 

 to an appreciative human eye — they yet do not in 

 their colouring present anything like so bold and 

 salient an appearance as the parts mentioned, with 

 the display of which they might, perhaps, interfere, 

 though I confess I do not think they would. 



With the redshank this is different, for "the red- 

 shank, when standing with wings folded, is a very 

 plain-looking bird, the whole of the upper surface 

 being of a drabby brown colour, and the under parts 

 not being seen to advantage. But as he rises in flight 

 all is changed, for the inner surface of his wings — 

 with, in a less degree, the whole under part of his 

 body — are of a delicate, soft, silky white, looking 

 silvery, almost, as the light falls upon it and causes 

 it to gleam. This, with an upper quill -margin of 

 bolder white on the wings, which, when they are 

 closed, is concealed, now catches the eye, and the 

 bird passes from insignificance into something almost 

 distinguished, like a homely face flashing into beauty 



