t\fJ.h eves' '/^' 



162 IN NORFOLK BY THE SEA 



shingle are nesting some twenty pairs or so of little 

 terns.* They arrived, perhaps from the Mediter- 

 ranean, in the middle of last month and laid their first 

 eggs on the 26th. They are not shy, and lying here 

 in the grass it is easy enough to watch their ways. 

 At first they circle round and round, uttering all the 

 while the chiding note from which they get the local 

 name of '* chits " or " chit perles " ; a " perle " being a 

 tern. But soon they return to their several duties, 

 the female settling down on to her eggs, the male 

 sitting by or coasting off to look for food, now 

 skimming swallow-like up the creek, now hanging 

 poised like a kestrel on vibrating wings, to drop like 

 an arrow into the water and take a fish.f And then 

 follows often a performance which must be described 

 somewhat particularly because it does not seem to be 

 noticed in the books. 

 ^ . Returned from its quest, the bird with a fish in its 



^€ccJ^«^ bill circles round and round and lower and lower 



over its mate, and presently drops down beside her. 



* Tringa minuta. 



t I have assumed these sexes from the birds' behaviour 

 only. I do not know that the male takes any share in hatch- 

 ing of eggs. As a matter of fact, closely as sexes may 

 resemble each other — as in this case — it is always, I think, 

 possible to determine them from habits. 



