CHAP. XVII. GREY PLOVERS. 199 



gale we crossed over to the tundra on the following day, in 

 search once more of the grey plovers. On the way we visited 

 an island and took a nest of the ringed plover. Soon after 

 landing at our destination we soon heard the note of the 

 birds we were in search of, and saw two or three, but could 

 not discover any signs of their having a nest. After our 

 previous experience we decided to vary our tactics. Hitherto 

 we had found the nests by sheer perseverance in searching, 

 and had afterwards watched the female to the nest and shot 

 her. We now decided to watch the female on to the nest in 

 the first instance, and, having by this means found it, to secure 

 the female afterwards as a further and more complete identifi- 

 cation of the eggs. It was also perfectly obvious that the 

 extreme care we had taken not to alarm the bird was un- 

 necessary. Our little manoeuvre of walking away from the 

 nest in a body, leaving one behind lying flat on the ground to 

 watch, under the impression that the bird could not count 

 beyond three, and would think that we had all gone, was 

 clearly so much artifice wasted. The birds were evidently 

 determined to come back to their nests in spite of our 

 presence ; nor was there any cover to hide us if the contrary 

 had been the case. Our care not to handle the eggs until 

 we had secured the bird was also of no use, as we often 

 proved afterwards. On a marshy piece of ground I shot a 

 reeve ; and then we struck across a very likely piece of land, 

 little flat pieces of bog with mossy ridges between. Pre- 

 sently Harvie-Brown, who was in front, whistled ; and as I 

 was coming up to him I saw a grey plover to my left. He 

 called out to me that he had put up a pair near where he was 



