GOLDEN AND GREY-PLOVERS 363 



male near a nest suddenly ran across a flat grass-covered bog with 

 head down and bill open; he then lay down on his breast and 

 stretched out his wings to their full extent along the ground, remain- 

 ing so for about half a minute. 1 



Seebohm describes a curious flight of the grey-plover ; when it 

 leaves the nest it tosses its wings in the air with an action like that 

 of a tumbler-pigeon. 2 A similar action was observed by Lord Lilford, 

 who further stated that they actually throw somersaults. This was 

 noticed particularly in March 1857 in the Gulf of Arta. It is there- 

 fore not confined to the nesting season. 3 



Mr. Trevor-Battye says that the grey-plovers attack the Arctic- 

 skuas with much boldness ; they " actually seem to hit the skuas, 

 wheeling round them, and then making a point high above, they would 

 drop down like a stone, literally knocking the skuas out of time." 4 



The incubation period of the golden-plover, ascertained by W. 

 Evans, by eggs hatched in an incubator, as 27 days, 5 would no doubt 

 apply also to naturally hatched eggs. The nest watched by Dr. 

 Heatherley (ante, p. 360) was found on May 10th with four eggs. These 

 hatched out on June 4th, 24 days after discovery, at which time it 

 was thought that the bird had been sitting several days. 



The young birds are said to leave the nest as soon as they are 

 hatched, but this statement made so generally with regard to all 

 Waders needs modification. The young of some species e.g. 

 ringed-plovers certainly seem to leave the nest directly their down 

 is dry, but many species remain in the nest, unless disturbed, for 

 periods varying from three or four hours to two or three days. Dr. 

 Heatherley has known golden-plovers to remain as long as sixty 

 hours. 6 During this time they require no food, as when hatched a 

 considerable quantity of the yolk-sac is unabsorbed. This refers to 

 all Waders according to my observation. 



The young birds grow quickly, and can fly in four or five weeks 



1 Ibis, 1876, p. 222. * Seebohm, British Birds, iii. p. 52. 



3 Dresser, Birds of Europe, vii. p. 461. * Icebound on Kolguev, p. 432. 



s Ibis, 1891, pp. 52-93. Country Life, August 26, 1905. 



VOL. III. 3 A 



