MOUNTAIN BIRDS 237 



alarmed. The sitting bird will return to its nest 

 even whilst an eye-witness is near; or, if the eggs be 

 undiscovered, the bird may be seen quietly watching 

 the intruder. In the past this has been a most 

 persecuted species, owing to the great value of its 

 feathers for fishing. Both miners and shepherds 

 sought out its breeding haunts, and, on account of 

 its tameness, often destroyed great quantities. 

 Some of the latter even trained dogs to find the 

 nests, and in this they were most successful. From 

 this and various causes the bird has become exceed- 

 ingly scarce, until now it is one of our rarest British 

 plovers. It may be mentioned that out of eleven 

 nests found by an old friend, two were in the last 

 week in May, the remaining nine in June; the May 

 nests contained one and three eggs respectively. 



The golden plover is a beautiful mountain bird, 

 spending its summer among the hills, and retreating 

 to the mosses and marshes at the approach of winter. 

 Here it lives gregariously, mixing with various sand 

 and shore-haunting birds. One of the most remark- 

 able traits in the bird's economy is that of changing 

 its plumage in the breeding season. The breast a 

 dull greyish white now becomes black, which, set 

 off against the gold of the back, renders this plover 

 a handsome species. As I stood amid a nesting 

 colony, and the birds ran or wheeled, plaintively 

 piping, round my head, they looked as though in 



