252 WILD NATURE'S WAYS. 



walls of my hiding-place, and when neither 

 courage nor power of will could stifle a groan 

 called forth by the excruciating pain in my nether 

 limbs, I crawled forth and went my way, leaving 

 the birds in peace. 



The behaviour of a ringed plover living close 

 by was such that I concluded she had a clutch 

 of eggs lying somewhere in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood, but do what I would by carefully 

 quartering the ground and searching every square 

 yard of it within certain limits, I could not find 

 her nest. 



Next day I returned to the oyster-catchers, 

 and by going through very similar experiences to 

 those detailed above, managed to secure a few 

 more exposures upon both male and female 

 covering eggs and near-by nest. Whilst in waiting 

 I had matured a plan by which to locate more 

 precisely the nesting-place of the ringed plover, 

 and thus enhance my chances of finding her eggs. 

 The stone runner, as this species is very appro- 

 priately nicknamed in Norfolk, is ever on the 

 watch for signs of an enemy, and instantly leaves 

 her eggs to the care of harmonisation with sur- 

 rounding natural objects when danger threatens. 

 A knowledge of this very sensible habit led me 

 to the conclusion that if I carefully parted the 

 planks barring up the doorway of my house at 

 the bottom, quietly wriggled through the aperture 



