﻿The Wry-bill Plover of New Zealand 



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the Rakaia for days ; and took long trips down the river on a raft made of 

 kerosene tins, without result. At last, returning one evening with a friend 

 from a long walk in search of nests, we came on a female bird, and, after 

 watching her for a while to see if she had a nest, we saw her squat down 

 among the stones, and, on going up, found her two eggs. These were of a 

 gray ground -color, marked all over with slightly darker gray and a few 

 minute black spots. There was absolutely no nest, the eggs being partly 

 buried in the soft, dry sand among the stones. As will be seen in one of the 



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MALE WRY-BILL PLOVER STANDING NEAR EGGS 

 The picture shows the nature of the 'Shingle' beds 



photographs, their color protection is of an order seldom met with even 

 among bird's eggs. 



The bird was very courageous, and, unlike most of the Plover family, 

 made no attempt to lure us away from her treasures by shamming, but ran 

 toward us with wings outspread and feathers erect, making a low, angry 

 purring noise. She came within four or five feet of us at times, her indig- 

 nation at our intrusion being augmented, no doubt, by the fact that her 

 eggs were just hatching, both shells being chipped. During the time we 

 stayed by the nest we did not see the male bird at all. I do not remember 

 that the female rose from the ground once. As I had not my camera with 

 me, we went back to camp, returning early next morning to photograph our 



