BIRD-LIFE ALONG THE SHORE. 189 



tameness is often remarkable until harassed by 

 the shore shooter. We often succeed in quietly 

 walking up to within a few yards of these engag- 

 ing little birds as they sit almost invisible upon 

 the higher banks of shingle, or run by the margin 

 of the waves breaking upon the shore. They are 

 constantly in motion while feeding, tripping here 

 and there about the sands, and if alarmed rising 

 in a scattered manner but drawing into a compact 

 bunch at once, flying out to sea for a little way, 

 then returning to some quieter spot farther along 

 the shore. As soon as they alight they scatter in 

 quest of food, and may be flushed time after time 

 from one reach of sand without showing any 

 inclination to desert it. We have noticed that 

 these flocks of Ringed Plovers are very regular 

 in returning to certain sands, and the date of their 

 arrival scarcely varies from year to year. While 

 speaking of Ringed Plovers we may mention that 

 during the past autumn (/th of September 

 1898) we flushed an example of the Killdeer 

 Plover (Oxyechusi vociferus) from Paignton sands. 

 There could be no possible doubt about the 

 species, for it rose in a very leisurely way from 

 our very feet, the chestnut-buff of the rump and 



