222 THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



are the fowl usually selected by the novice in wild- 

 fowling for the trial of his apprentice hand. Length, 

 about 8 in., and weight 2 oz. 



THE TURNSTONE, Strepsilas interpres, as well as the 

 birds next to be mentioned, properly belong to the 

 Plover family, but being shore-frequenters, they are 

 brought under the heading " shore birds." This bird is 

 well named from its habit of overturning stones and 

 shells in search of the small marine life taking shelter 

 beneath them. The strongly contrasted colours of its 

 plumage render it easy of recognition at some con- 

 siderable distance. The Turnstone appears along our 

 shores in greatest numbers during the last weeks of 

 summer and the first weeks of autumn. I have fre- 

 quently observed this bird in early August on the east 

 coast of England. Length, g\ in. ; weight, from 5 oz. 

 to 6 oz. 



THE RINGED PLOVER, Charadrius hiaticula, nests 

 in certain suitable situations along our east coast and 

 elsewhere in this country. It is a bird of handsome 

 anct strongly-marked plumage, and in autumn is fre- 

 quently met with in company with the Dunlin. Length, 

 7f in. ; weight, up to 2\ oz. The LESSER RINGED 

 PLOVER, Charadrius minor, rarely occurs in this country. 

 The delicate KENTISH PLOVER, Charadrius cantianus, 

 although breeding sparingly in South-eastern England, 

 is also a comparatively rare species. The two latter are 

 the smallest of our Plover family, neither measuring 7 in. 

 in length. 



THE OYSTERCATCHER, Hcematopus ostralegus, is a 

 familiar object on many parts of our coast both in the 

 nesting season and during autumn and winter. It is 



