]68 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA 



the eggs the bird further conceals them by scraping 

 very quickly with one foot on each side of the nest, thus 

 covering the whole with dust, and presenting an even 

 texture with the surrounding ground. Two or three of 

 these kicks were quite enough, if she were hurried, to 

 conceal the eggs, which were already placed in a hollow 

 in the earth. The illustration at the foot of plate 45 I 

 have inserted with a view of showing exactly how these 

 birds uncover their eggs ; the bird's right foot had just 

 swept some of the covering from above the eggs when 

 the photograph was taken. I have often known to a 

 yard where the eggs were, and yet been unable to find 

 them, so skilfully were they concealed. 



Other ground that was a favourite nesting place of 

 these birds was that on which patches of dead weed had 

 been left, here and there, by some exceptionally high 

 tide and then bleached by the sun ; small pieces of 

 this weed were then utilised by the birds, forming an 

 effective covering for their eggs. They were very fond 

 also of ground on which rubbish had been thrown, 

 and would display a remarkable amount of sagacity in 

 selecting materials as covering for their eggs which 

 were in harmony with the surroundings ; in one 

 instance, I remember, the .nest was placed on a per- 

 fectly bare piece of ground which was strewn with old 

 kettles, scraps of iron, and bits of crockery, portions of 

 which were collected together and utilised to conceal 

 the eggs. 



Kittlitz's Plover never appears to lay more than two 

 eggs, nor did any of the Plovers whose nests we found. 

 The South African birds as a rule lay a less number 

 of eggs than the English birds do, and we noticed that 



