BIRD LIFE ON THE COAST. 87 



arose in great agitation limping along with an apparently 

 broken wing, but it was in fact only trying to lure us away from 

 its young, which were lying under a bank by the road-side. 

 Coming on to the warren a Skylark flew up, and amongst the 

 grass we discovered its nest containing three eggs. Farther on a 

 pair of Stockdoves, emerging from a rabbit hole, at once 

 arrested our attention, and by looking in we could just discern 

 part of the nest showing round the corner about four feet 

 down. At length, after climbing over the sand-hills, we 

 reached the wild coast, where nothing was to be heard or 

 seen excepting the birds and sea, and the sands quivering in 

 the heat. On our arrival a pair of pretty Oyster-catchers came 

 whistling over our heads evidently in a state of great agitation, 

 and on careful search we espied first one, then a second, 

 and still a third young bird crouching close amongst the 

 stones with their eyes closed and head and beak laid flat 

 on the sands, each of which in turn we took up and examined. 

 They were very odd-looking little things with fluffy bodies and 

 long legs and beaks, and when liberated they ran away with 

 marvellous agility to the sea. After wandering along about a 

 mile we sat down against the sand-hills to refresh the inner 

 man, and recall to mind all that we had seen and heard. 

 Whilst thus agreeably engaged, our attention was constantly 

 drawn to groups of the same birds running along at the margin 

 of the sea in parties of seven or eight, whistling in a merry 

 tone, and keeping close together. One pair of Oyster-catchers 

 were very busy initiating their young into the mysteries of 

 swimming, and the smallest of the babies apparently strongly 

 objected, for after its parents had made many attempts to 

 drive it into the water, it made off at its utmost speed across 

 the sands. The old ones followed it for a few moments as if 

 to catch it and turn it back, but shortly desisted, and looked 

 at one another in such a puzzled way, as if at a loss to under- 

 stand such rebellious conduct, that we were compelled to 

 indulge in a burst of laughter. 



After several false alarms and fruitless searches for nests we 

 came to the haunt of the Common Tern behind the sand-hills, 

 when a grand sight met our interested gaze ; thousands of these 

 birds which had risen at our approach sailed round and round 



