9660 Birds. 



aciileata). Tliis curious animal is covered with sharp bristles and 

 soft silky hairs, of the most brilliant metallic colours, a dress which 

 rivals in beauty the gorgeous eyes in the peacock's tail. 



John Cordeaux. 

 Great Cotes, Ulceby, Lincolnshire, 

 May 10, 1865. 



OrnithoJogical Notes from North Lincolnshire. 

 By John Cordeaux, Esq. 



(Continued from page 9600). 



May, 1865. 



Gray Plover. — May 3. Punctual to their time, the first week in 



May, the gray plovers have arrived on the coast. On this day I saw 



several small flocks of these birds on the " flats." One flock, which 



I examined through a powerful field glass, consisted of birds, half of 



which showed as yet little change in pliunage from the usual winter 



garb. The remainder were more or less in the transition state, one 



only appearing in the full summer dress. On the 8th I counted sixty 



together feeding on the flats ; this flock was composed of birds in every 



state of transition plumage. On the 24th, with a very few exceptions, 



the gray plovers had entirely acquired their full summer dress. These 



birds arrive on the Humber shores in much greater numbers during 



their passage northward in the spring than on their return southward 



in the autumn. At this latter season they are only seen in small 



parties, not in large flocks; some few are always found on tlio coast 



during the winter months ; the greater portion, however, after a short 



visit, leave again. Every day on which I have been on the coast 



during the past month 1 have seen numemns flocks of gray plovers 



feeding on the mud flats. Unlike the whimbrel, however, they never 



resort to the grass marshes and corn lands bordering the river: they 



are wild and shy birds, rising immediately on the slightest appearance 



of danger, flying in a wide circle out to sea, and returning again to 



some distant part of the fore shore or some nuid bank surrounded by 



the water. From the impassable nature of these dreary mud plains it 



is almost impossible to get within gun-shot of them. I have frequently 



endeavoured during the month to obtain a gray plover in the full 



summer plumage, but hitherto without success. To-day (June 1st) 



I did not see any gray plovers on the coast. 'J'he local name of this 



bird is the "sand plover." 



