BIRD LIFE ON THE COAST. 89 



make a wide circle back again, contrasting strongly with the 

 graceful buoyant flight of the birds overhead. It seemed to us 

 that the Oyster-catchers made their incursions simply for the 

 fun of the thing and to increase the noise. 



Descending to the level beach, we came upon a few of their 

 nests in which were two or three large eggs, merely a hollow 

 in the sand with a few pieces of coloured shell arranged round 

 the edge ; there were young of these also running along at the 

 edge of the water. 



Close under the sand-hills, and partly behind as well, were 

 scattered colonies of the Lesser Tern, elegant little birds 

 showing almost a transparent white against the sky. Their 

 note is more musical, something like that of a Swallow, and 

 the nests were scattered about and very difficult to see, the 

 one or two handsome eggs being simply laid in a hollow in the 

 sand amongst the stones. 



Farther on again we discovered a" Hinged Plover's nest con- 

 taining one egg, the bird running along the sand a short way 

 in front. 



We were much interested in being able to catch and 

 examine some of the young of each kind of the Terns, and also 

 of the Gulls, Einged Plovers, and Oyster-catchers, and although 

 most of them crouched down flat on the sand previously, 

 thinking, doubtless, that they would escape observation, yet 

 upon being liberated they ran off in an amusingly active manner. 



Getting away from all these colonies it was a great relief 

 to be once more in the quiet, after being for about five hours 

 in such a babel, and to watch a few Oyster-catchers piping and 

 whistling. On repeated visits we continually found fresh 

 nests of these birds, so difficult are they to see amongst the 

 stones even with the closest scrutiny. 



Each kind of bird appears to have its peculiar breeding 

 place, for the Oyster-catchers were near the sea, the Lesser 

 Terns farther up below the sand-hills, the Common Terns 

 behind them in the hollows, the Black-headed Gulls on the top 

 of the sand-hills, and the Sandwich Terns on the highest 

 points. 



Kent Lodge, Lower Addiscombe, Croydon. 



