COLOURATION AND FORM 75 



grey-lichened oak-bark match his green and yellow 

 plumage. 



Several kinds of birds which tenant the seashore 

 are very difficult to observe, and in this respect 

 may be mentioned the Ringed Plover and some 

 of the smaller Waders. When we come to young 

 birds — and more particularly those born on the 

 open ground — it is quite remarkable to notice 

 their protective resemblance to the surroundings. 

 Thus, on a barren, stony tract of country, where 

 the land is poor and untilled, the young Stone 

 Curlews are with difficulty located, and this is 

 enhanced by the youngster's habit of crouching 

 low, like the parents, and remaining motionless. 

 Young Ringed Plovers upon the shingle are equally 

 difficult to discern, and I have often trodden, 

 almost, upon baby Partridges and Pheasants 

 when they have been crouching among grass and 

 other herbage. 



The Spotted Flycatcher — an inconspicuous 

 brown bird, which is little known, and often mis- 

 taken by those unacquainted with birds for the 

 Sparrow — matches in a remarkable way the trunk 

 of a tree, when his nest is hidden away behind a 

 piece of loose bark, and I remember, on one occa- 

 sion, seeing a bird of this species fly on to a Silver 

 Birch-tree, which required very careful watching 

 through a pair of good glasses before he could be 

 seen. 



