CHAEADRIID^. 303 



show him, at once identified his bird as a young Kentish Plover. The 

 adult male of this little Plover has a bright chestnut patch on the crowu 

 of the head, which fades away almost entirely in birds which have been 

 any time preserved. 



The Kentish Plover lays its three eggs on the shingle just above high- 

 water mark ; and from their grey colour, spotted with black, they 

 harmonize so well with the tints of the surrounding pebbles that they are 

 very difficult to find, 



Einged Plover. jEgialitis Maticula (Linn.). 



[Catpoll, Cathead {Exe) ; Sea Lark, Sand Lark, Eing Dotterel, Dul- 

 willy, Curwilly, from its cry.] 



Hesident and numerous in the estuaries of the larger rivers, both in 

 North and South Devon, but most abundant in the winter. Two young 

 cues were captured ou Dawlish Warren in August 1854 by the late Charles 

 Hall, of Topsham, and we found four eggs on the shingle there in July 

 18S7. Major H. C. Adams, of Exmouth, informs us that he has often 

 found the eggs there also. A few breed on the sands between Torcross 

 and Start Lighthouse (K. P. N.). The Hinged Plover is an occasional 

 breeder on Lundy Island (Trans. Devon. Assoc, viii. p. 308). 



The eccentric gestures of this small Plover must be familiar to most 

 visitors to the sea-side, where it is to be met with throughout the yenr, 

 who have watched it running over the sands or shingle, suddenly bringing 

 itself to a stop, as it throws its head up into the air with a jerk sufficient, 

 one would think, to dislocate its neck, then running briskly on for a few 

 more yards, when again comes the sudden stop and quick jerk, and then, 

 perhaps, the bird will stand motionless for a moment or two before pro- 

 ceeding with its performance as before. So closely does the back of the 

 Ringed Plover resemble the grey shingle in colour that often one may 

 nearly tread upon it before it is observed, when it will start up with 

 a shrill whistle, and flitting on a short distance, settle again on the 

 shingle and at once become invisible. The Kinged Plover breeds all 

 round the coast wherever there is a pebbly beach ; the Xortham Burrows, 

 in North Devon, are a favourite nesting-place, and the four eggs laid in a 

 little hollow scratched out by the bird are of a stone-buff, spotted with 

 black, and from their protective resemblance to their environment are most 

 difficult to find ; but still harder to detect arc the little grey puft's of 

 down which represent the young birds, on which we have again and again 

 nearly set our feet when we have been peering for them with all our 

 eyes, and have had the two old birds trailing their wings and feigning 

 lameness within a few inches, in order to tem[)t us away from the 

 cherished spot. In the winter-timo our breeding-birds receive large 

 reinforcements from the north, and then large flocks may be seen ou the 

 sands or flying along their edges when the tide is flowing in. 



The chef-rfnl ])ii)o of this lively little Plover is one of the familiar 

 sounds of the shore which we lovo to hear. 



