THE BEETLEHEAD PLOVER 75 
passersby driven inshore by the southeast 
storms so eagerly looked for by the marsh- and 
bay-gunners of these waters. Thus, while we 
seldom get any shooting at shore-birds here be- 
fore the middle of August or the first of Sep- 
tember, our brother sportsmen of Massa- 
chusetts commonly have good sport on plover 
and curlew as early as the middle of July. 
The Beetleheads, as are the other ‘‘bay 
snipe’’ on Cape Cod, are mostly shot from 
blinds and over decoys set out on the sea beaches 
—the blind usually a pit in the sand with the 
gunner lying quietly hidden until the game has 
come in close. Large bags of the various kinds 
of plover and curlew are often made in this 
fashion, for as the compact flocks wheel over the 
‘‘tolers’’ and turn to leave when they discover 
the cheat they give the most favorable oppor- 
tunity for the experienced bay-man to rake their 
ranks with deadly effect. 
They make a pretty picture as the flocks 
sweep rapidly past in close order, with clear 
and musical call, the sharply contrasted blacks 
and whites of their plumage alternately show- 
ing and being hidden by the swiftly moving 
wings as they career along, now slanting to 
