Anglesey 



of excitement as those of swallow and tumbler pigeon 

 combined. There is an element of song in the 

 sweet piping of the little ringed plover, but the 

 strenuous " pee-whit ! " of the lapwing is more like 

 vehement speech. Hearing both birds together, 

 and seeing them only on the wing, a stranger to 

 them would find it hard to believe that two creatures 

 so dissimilar under one aspect could have points of 

 such close resemblance under another. 



The field where the lapwings first appeared a 

 field covered by coarse grass, with patches of reeds 

 and furze here and there had a small pond in the 

 centre. In this pond we used to see a pair of 

 sheld-ducks feeding in the early hours every morn- 

 ing. This large, goose-like bird, with its bright 

 red bill, dark green head, broad white collar, 

 and ruddy brown band at the base of the neck, and 

 with equally heavy markings in black, white, and 

 green upon the wings and body, is certainly the 

 most conspicuous object in these parts, whether on 

 the ground or on the wing. It is also by no means 

 uncommon. We put up a pair from some low 

 sandhills in this part of the strait ; we have seen 

 a pair regularly feeding at the water's edge at the 

 end of a particular spit of sand (they appear to be 

 birds of strong habit) ; we have found them nesting 

 in the rabbit-burrowed headland forming the north- 

 eastern corner of the island, and have seen a string 

 of twelve leave PuiBn Island for the Anglesey shore 

 iust as our boat was approaching. We shall come 



191 



