CUESOETTTS. 251 



so, after which it would get up, and, running down to the water's edge above us, fly round 

 to the spot where it had dabbled previously. After watching this operation repeated several 

 times I got out of the boat, and at the spot where the bird had been crouching I found a 

 clutch of eggs half buried in the sand, their tops only being visible ; the sand immediately 

 surrounding them was moist, although the bank I was on was an expanse of dry burning 

 sand. Two days later I visited this nest again, and knowing the exact spot went straight 

 to it, and at first thought it had been i-obbed as I could see no eggs ; but, noticing the con- 

 verging marks of the bird's feet, I removed the top layer of sand and found the eggs right 

 enough, but completely buried.' 



" From these observations, coupled with my own, but made quite independently, I 

 think it may be taken as an established fact that the Black-headed Plover buries her eggs 

 in the sand when she leaves them, and also that for some reason she damps the sand with 

 which she covers them. The temperature of these dry sandbanks on the Nile is very great 

 indeed during the summer months. It is a noticeable fact that the other three species 

 which commonly nest on the same sandbanks, viz. the Scissor-billed Tern (Bhynchops Jtavi- 

 rostris), the Spur- winged Plover {Vanellus spinosus), and the African Sand-Plover (C/iara- 

 drius pecuarius), do not cover up their eggs in this manner. Without in any way wishing 

 to detract from the character of the Black-headed Plover, I may remark that it appears 

 to devote considerably less time to sitting than do other birds; and although it was the 

 commonest occurrence to see the sandbanks dotted with the Terns and other Plovers 

 engaged in incubation, I never once saw a Black-headed Plover so employed. Indeed 

 the latter appeared to spend the whole day running about the water's edge in pairs, as if 

 there were no such things as the responsibilities and duties of incubation. 



" All the Black-headed Plover's eggs which have come into my possession are very 

 uniform in size and shape, being T25 inch in length and '95 inch to 1 inch in breadth. 

 In shape they are unlike any of the Plovers' eggs, but resemble those of a Eed Grouse, 

 only they are rather more globular ; the ground-colouring in freshly laid specimens is 

 warm yellow stone-colour, and the whole surface of the eggs is thickly sprinkled with 

 specks and short markings of a rich umber tint ; besides these surface-markings there are 

 faint obsolete grey spots all over the eggs." 



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