cliff dwellers. The turtle dove is a summer visitor to the British 
Islands. The cinnamon brown of its back, bluish ash-grey head, 
wing-coverts and rump, the patch of black on its neck, and the 
fan-shaped tail, tipped with white, readily distinguish it from 
the other three species just described. 
Where the summer holidays are spent by the sea—in places 
where there are no bands, piers, ‘‘ promenades,” and other 
abominations of ‘ civilization ”»—one may spend delicious hours 
‘ 
watching some of our “ wading-birds.” On such parts of the 
coast as have a rocky shore one may be sure of finding the hand- 
some oystercatcher, a black-and-white bird, with a long red beak, 
and flesh-coloured legs. His loud, shrill “‘ wheep-wheep ” seems to 
harmonize perfectly with his wild surroundings. His striking 
coloration, shrill note, and swift powerful flight, make con- 
fusion with any other bird impossible. One is also sure to find the 
ringed-plover. A little bird with a pale brown back, a white 
forehead with a bar of black above it, black face, and a black 
band at the base of the white neck. The beak is short, and the 
legs yellow. The wings, in flight, are long and pointed, and 
marked with a white bar. The outer tail-feathers, spread 
during flight, are also white. It runs rapidly about, swiftly 
picking up sand-hoppers and other small creatures, and always 
travels in small flocks. Commonly associated with the ringed- 
plover one finds the dunlin, grey above, white below, and with a 
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