7486 Birds. 



ash-coloured spots ; ihey are invariably placed with the smaller ends 

 together in the middle, thus occupying the least possible space. "In 

 the spring of 1844, while staying on the Sussex coast, I found two nests 

 of this bird, each with four eggs : I visited them at noon every day 

 for nearly a week ; 1 invariably found the bird on the nest, although 

 the weather was very hot at the time. The parent bird, when dis- 

 turbed, creeps along the shingle to the water's edge, and then flies a 

 short distance, uttering its well-known cry." — Mr.Channell{Zoo\.120Q,). 

 It is said that the ringed plover exposes her eggs to the sun's rays at 

 noon : I think the preceding quotation shows the fallacy of this 

 assertion. 



Kentish Plover, Charadrius cantianus. 



Situation. On sand by the sea-coast of Kent and Sussex. 



Materials. It makes no nest, but lays its eggs in a depression of 

 the sand, and about the banks of shells which abound in some locali- 

 ties on the beach. 



Eggs, 4. Pale testaceous-brown, spotted and streaked with black. 



Lapwing, Vanellus cristatus. 



Situation. On all waste grounds, whether upland or low marshes. 



Materials. It makes a depression on the surface, lined with straws 

 and bents. 



Eggs, 4. Dark olive-brown, blotched with black-brown. May be 

 bought in any quantities in the London markets, to which they are 

 brought as articles of luxury. The eggs of rarer birds often occur 

 amongst them, but it requires a perfect knowledge of eggs to fix on 

 the species to which such accidentally-obtained eggs belong. 



Oysteecatcher, Hcematopus oslralegus. 



Situation. On the bare ground on our sea-coasts, especially of 

 Lincolnshire. 



Materials. A few bents and small stones regularly arranged. 



Eggs, 3, 4. Stone-colour, blotched with dark brown and gray : 

 sometimes streaked : they are invariably placed with the smaller ends 

 in the middle. 



Heron, Ardea cinerea. 



Situation. The tops of high trees, almost invariably in societies 

 called heronries, in one station only (in Pembrokeshire), on cliffs 

 facing the sea. 



Materials. Sticks in large quantities, the interior lined with wool 

 and sometimes rags. 



Eggs, 4, 5. Pale greenish brown. 



