96 



KEARTONS' NATURE PICTURES 



RINGED PLOVER. 



soft, loose sand they show a tendency 

 towards the period of hatching to rest 

 with their small ends almost straight 

 down. 



The eggs of this species number four, 

 of a pale buff or cream ground-colour, 

 spotted with small, evenly-distributed 

 bluish-grey and blackish-brown spots. 

 Two broods are frequently reared during 

 the same season, hence eggs may be 

 found as early as March, and occasion- 

 ally as late as August. 



Young Ringed Plovers run about 

 directly they leave the egg-shell, and 

 unless they are seen when moving and 

 carefully marked down, are most diffi- 

 cult to find. 



If a bird of this species should happen 

 to nest close by an oyster-catcher, she 

 has a most unhappy time of it, for the 

 latter bird will not tolerate her presence 

 on ground where her own young ones 

 are running about. On the other hand, 

 the Ringed Plover will sometimes attack 

 and drive off even the lesser black- 

 backed gull in defence of her chicks. 



