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  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  large 
  number 
  always 
  rise 
  in 
  a 
  flock 
  from 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  beach 
  

   exposed 
  by 
  the 
  tide, 
  while 
  those 
  sitting 
  on 
  nests 
  rise 
  one 
  by 
  one 
  

   at 
  intervals 
  from 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  beach 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  nests 
  are 
  

   situated. 
  By 
  concealing 
  oneself 
  at 
  a 
  moderate 
  distance, 
  the 
  

   birds 
  can 
  be 
  watched 
  returning 
  to 
  their 
  nests. 
  First 
  one 
  bird 
  

   will 
  fly 
  back 
  to 
  the 
  beach, 
  and 
  beat 
  backwards 
  and 
  forwards 
  over 
  

   it, 
  being 
  joined 
  shortly 
  by 
  many 
  others. 
  A 
  few 
  moments' 
  

   hovering 
  over 
  certain 
  spots 
  by 
  individual 
  birds 
  will 
  give 
  the 
  

   observer 
  some 
  inkling 
  of 
  where 
  the 
  birds 
  will 
  eventually 
  settle 
  

   on 
  their 
  eggs. 
  But 
  there 
  is 
  much 
  hesitation, 
  the 
  hovering 
  being 
  

   many 
  times 
  repeated, 
  the 
  bird 
  sometimes 
  dropping 
  to 
  within 
  a 
  

   few 
  inches 
  of 
  the 
  beach, 
  and 
  yet 
  rising 
  again. 
  Then 
  finally 
  one 
  

   bird, 
  after 
  a 
  moment's 
  hovering, 
  will 
  drop 
  down 
  right 
  into 
  the 
  

   nest-hollow, 
  just 
  steadying 
  itself 
  with 
  its 
  wings 
  as 
  it 
  reaches 
  the 
  

   beach, 
  then 
  folding 
  its 
  wings, 
  settles 
  itself 
  on 
  its 
  eggs. 
  One 
  by 
  

   one 
  others 
  will 
  follow 
  the 
  example 
  of 
  the 
  first, 
  and 
  by 
  degrees 
  

   the 
  beach 
  will 
  regain 
  comparative 
  quiet. 
  It 
  is 
  almost 
  an 
  un- 
  

   broken 
  rule 
  for 
  the 
  bird 
  to 
  settle 
  right 
  in 
  the 
  nest-hollow, 
  but 
  on 
  

   two 
  occasions 
  I 
  have 
  noticed 
  a 
  bird 
  settle 
  far 
  enough 
  away 
  from 
  

   the 
  nest 
  to 
  entail 
  the 
  necessity 
  of 
  walking 
  a 
  few 
  steps 
  to 
  get 
  on 
  

   to 
  the 
  eggs. 
  The 
  beach 
  does 
  not 
  remain 
  quiet 
  long, 
  as 
  a 
  good 
  

   deal 
  of 
  quarrelling 
  takes 
  place 
  amongst 
  the 
  mates 
  of 
  the 
  birds 
  

   sitting 
  on 
  the 
  eggs 
  as 
  they 
  bring 
  in 
  food. 
  And 
  birds 
  will 
  chase 
  

   each 
  other 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  beach, 
  often 
  disturbing 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  eggs. 
  

   Or 
  a 
  Binged 
  Plover 
  will 
  occasionally 
  come 
  too 
  close 
  to 
  a 
  Tern 
  

   sitting 
  on 
  its 
  eggs, 
  and 
  either 
  it 
  or 
  its 
  mate 
  will 
  fly 
  at 
  the 
  

   intruder 
  with 
  angry 
  chattering, 
  and 
  drive 
  it 
  away. 
  Later 
  in 
  the 
  

   year 
  one 
  may 
  watch 
  the 
  old 
  birds 
  feeding 
  their 
  young 
  ones, 
  and 
  

   it 
  is 
  noticeable 
  then 
  that 
  both 
  the 
  old 
  and 
  young 
  Terns 
  are 
  fairly 
  

   active 
  in 
  running 
  over 
  the 
  beach 
  ; 
  but 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  compared 
  in 
  

   this 
  respect 
  with 
  the 
  Binged 
  Plover. 
  As 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  able 
  

   to 
  make 
  out, 
  but 
  on 
  this 
  point 
  I 
  am 
  not 
  quite 
  certain, 
  the 
  feeding 
  

   is 
  done 
  by 
  the 
  old 
  bird 
  dropping 
  whatever 
  morsel 
  it 
  is 
  carrying 
  

   into 
  the 
  young 
  bird's 
  widely 
  opened 
  beak. 
  A 
  large 
  Gull 
  or 
  a 
  

   Crow 
  passing 
  overhead 
  will 
  be 
  a 
  signal 
  for 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  birds 
  

   to 
  dart 
  out 
  and 
  drive 
  it 
  off 
  ; 
  and 
  a 
  very 
  lively 
  time 
  it 
  has 
  from 
  

   the 
  absolutely 
  fearless 
  attacks 
  of 
  its 
  small 
  tormentors 
  until 
  it 
  

   gets 
  well 
  out 
  of 
  bounds. 
  I 
  cannot 
  imagine 
  that 
  any 
  birds 
  can 
  

   do 
  much 
  harm 
  to 
  the 
  colony 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  stealing 
  eggs 
  ; 
  but 
  a 
  

  

  