BIRDS OP THE SALT MARSHES 



many as twenty-seven names for the black- 

 bellied plover! 



The dowitcher is a confiding bird, and is 

 only too anxious to fly in among the gimner's 

 decoys, so that it has dwindled ominously in 

 numbers of late years. Fortunately most of 

 the birds go south in July and early August, 

 and as the opening of the shooting season is 

 now delayed until the middle of August, there 

 is still a chance that this charming bird may 

 not be totally exterminated. 



Another bird that has been in danger of 

 extinction is the upland plover, which is now 

 protected by law at all seasons. Although, 

 as its name implies, it frequents the uplands, 

 it occasionally alights in the black-grass re- 

 gion of the marsh, and, as it extends its wings 

 straight up over its back and then slowly folds 

 them, it is a beautiful object. After this pre- 

 liminary it stretches its neck and looks care- 

 fully about, for it is extremely cautious and 

 shy, and takes alarm at the least sight of man. 

 In walking, the neck and breast are thrust in 

 and out in a dove-like manner, and the short 

 tail is held parallel with the ground. It is 

 a fast runner and generally manages to get 

 some object between it and the prying man. 



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