THE RINGED PLOVER. 207 



get so dirty, as the birds find their food on the cleaner sand and 

 shingle and not on the mud flats. 



On approaching the sitting bird she slips quietly off the nest, 

 and bending low dodges away over the shingle looking like some 

 moving stone. When she has retired to what she deems a safe 

 distance, she stands head on one side and surveys you with an 

 air of interested curiosity, as if speculating what that strange 

 animal will do next. 



She and her mate will the while be calling to each other their 

 alarm note in a low tooee uee. When satisfied that danger is 

 over, and you have moved far enough away to be unable to see 

 her, she runs back to the nest, stopping every now and again to 

 survey the district thoroughly for anything that might lead to the 

 discovery of her precious eggs, till finally she cuddles the eggs 

 under her with her legs. She sits down again, her head drawn 

 back so that her bill almost rests on her chest. When disturbed 

 and agitated the little birds have the curious habit of picking up 

 small stones in their bills and carrying them about. (Confer 

 Mr. R. Kearton's Wild Nature's Ways.) They will also pretend 

 to feed with a view of putting you off enquiry as to the cause of 

 their presence. 



The young when hatched leave the nest within a few hours, 

 and are most diligently guarded and attended by their parents. 

 The small waders are models of parental solicitude, and the 

 infant mortality is exceedingly low, the rule being for four birds 

 to be reared by each pair. The young upon alarm scatter 

 immediately and lie down, crouching so low as to be almost 

 level with the shingle or sand on which they lie. If we stand 

 quite still for a few minutes, we shall see a bright eye open on 

 what looks like a little lump of sand and survey us carefully. 

 Should we make the slightest movement, the eye shuts like a 

 flash, leaving the beach apparently lifeless but for the parent 

 birds, who are standing some distance off or flying round in an 

 agitated manner uttering their plaintive alarm note. Stoop and 

 touch the apparently lifeless lump of sand ; the change is 

 instantaneous. The sand resolves itself into a young Ringed 



