Birds, 6845 



"Well," he added, "if so, it is certainly a very wonderful circum- 

 stance ; but," he continued, " we shall see ;" and with that he parted 

 the heather and laid his hand on the bird. " Well," he added, "she 

 is alive, for she is warm ; but she must be wounded, and not able to 

 rise or fly." " Oh, no," I once more said, " she has something beneath 

 her which she is unwillhig to leave ;" and she allowed him to 

 stroke her without moving, except turning her head to look at us. 

 On my friend's dog ' Sancho' coming up and putting his nose close to 

 her she creeped away through the bushes for some distance, and then 

 took to flight, leaving a nest and fifteen eggs exposed to our gaze. 

 Before leaving we carefully closed up the heather again, so as to con- 

 ceal as much as possible the nest and its beauteous treasure ; and I 

 need not say that we were both delighted with what we had seen. 

 Mr. Smith was particularly struck with the incident, as he had never 

 seen anything of the kind before ; and he often remarked, " I verily 

 believe that 1 could not have credited the fact if I had not seen it 

 myself," and always spoke of it with the greatest admiration. 



Quail {P. coturnix). That this species is a regular visitor, I am 

 not prepared to say ; but that it is an occasional visitor and breeds 

 here, is beyond all doubt. Nests and eggs of this species are some- 

 times met with in cutting grass, and are generally passed over as 

 those of the landrail. 



Golden Plover {Charadrius pluvialis). Where moor-fowl occur 

 the golden plover is generally to be met with. When the hills, 

 heaths and fields are covered with snow, the plover comes down from 

 his alpine abode, and stays at the sea-side, where great numbers fall 

 an easy prey to the gun of the sea-side fowler. 



Dotterel {C morinellus). Occasionally^raet with. On once asking 

 an old keeper from the higher grounds as to wdiere this species 

 breeds, he replied, " On the gray slopes of the highest mountains, far 

 above all the other birds, except the ptarmigan." 1 am doubtful 

 whether it breeds with us at all. 



Kinged Plover (C hialicula). These breed with us, and remain 

 all the year round. I have found their eggs on the sand by the 

 beach, and forty miles inland. They likewise nestle on the shingly 

 banks and islands along our river-courses. They are known here by 

 the names of" sea lark" and " sunny liverick." 



Gray Plover {Vanellus inelmioyaster). Rather rare, and I believe 

 only a winter visitor. 



Lapwing (F. crisiatus). On heaths and moors, and in fields, where 

 they breed. Many of them leave us towards winter. This is another 



