196 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



tail as if she were pivoted at the " hips " (which 

 in fact she is), and raising her head up and down 

 in the same way as Aegialitis hiaticula, the 

 Ringed Plover. As a photographic sitter she is a 

 perfect bird, and sits very quietly, taking very 

 little notice of the shutter. She sat head to 

 wind all the time. E.H.C. heard her speak only 

 about three times, and then she gave a plain- 

 tive note and not very loud, like the first syllable 

 of the plover cry. At the approach of danger 

 the male rises with a call of " weet " rather 

 long drawn, and the female runs a few yards 

 and rises too. 



In the afternoon W.P.C. secured the male bird 

 taking his share of incubation, the difference 

 in the tone of the back and head markings being 

 quite distinguishable in a monochrome photo- 

 graph, and easily so in the colour photographs 

 obtained. (Paget and Autochrome). 



May 10 E.H.C. had a further try at these birds ; but 

 although photographically he procured in- 

 teresting results, his notes disclosed no further 

 details of habit, which is perhaps not surprising, 

 seeing that the young had not hatched. 



May 10 Observed this male drive a female Accipiter 

 nisus away from the nest. 



May 14 E.H.C. once more tried this pair, hoping he 

 might be successful in obtaining a photograph 

 of the two birds changing over, but was not 

 successful, although he saw the birds change 

 places. He noted further that the female takes 

 no notice of whistling, talking, or any noise 

 that is not violent. Two birds talk to one 

 another " whee-wheet, whee-wheet," and the 

 other replies with the same note from post as 

 sentry. E.H.C. also heard the female call to the 

 male by making a continuous " wheet-wheet- 



