1 70 HILLSIDE, ROCK, AND DALE 



waves. Pieces of seaweed are moved by their beaks, 

 insects are picked up rapidly, and even these tiny 

 creatures, which the birds are looking after, can be 

 seen as these quickly run about, until the bird's beak 

 darts at them and they disappear. I begin to wonder 

 how many more will be captured when a squeaky 

 pee-pee-pee is heard, and one of the parents runs 

 across the small sandy stretch, calling a musical 

 /-//', pu-li, and goes direct to one of the young, 

 which is hiding behind a rock, and feeds it ; then 

 back he comes again, picking up insects as he goes 

 towards the water. A lesser black-backed gull beats 

 slowly up-shore, keeping close to the rocks ; he has 

 seen or heard the young plovers, and means captur- 

 ing one if possible. As soon as he nears them one 

 of the parent plovers flies at full speed at the great 

 robber, strikes him while passing, then doubles in his 

 flight, and before the gull is able to leave, another 

 little beak-thrust is sent home. Kar-raz hoarsely 

 cries the intruder, as he flies seawards, with the angry 

 plover following, still striking above and again below, 

 and then, when he is fairly driven away, the plover 

 returns, sits on a prominent rock for a few minutes, 

 gives out his musical whistle, and resumes the feeding 

 of the young. Two of these latter are sitting on 

 a rock, and at length another gull is seen to be 

 approaching. This time both parents " go for " the 

 would-be robber, and look like two white darts shot 



