THE BIRDS OF DUNGENES8. 217 



The Kentish Plover, notwithstanding all vicissitudes, seems 

 to hold its own, and I think I am safe in saying that there were 

 as many birds breeding on the bench in 1902 as in 1900. My 

 fisherman friend, whose acquaintance I made on the occasion of 

 my former visits, gave me some interesting information as to the 

 numbers and distribution of this bird on the beach. During a 

 morning's walk with him we saw two pairs of the birds, and he 

 told me that he knew at that time of three other pairs in different 

 parts of the beach. He also said that he had been recently 

 watching twenty or more birds of this species feeding in small 

 mobs on Romney Sands, which he considered to be last year's 

 birds and non-breeders. The previous autumn (1901) he told 

 me he had counted forty birds in one flock, which were no doubt 

 getting together preparatory to leaving this country. 



My companion had on the previous day (15th May, 1902) 

 found a nest belonging to one of the pairs of birds we had just 

 seen. On walking towards it we saw one of the old birds rise 

 about thirty yards from us, and it was almost immediately joined 

 by its mate, and both birds flew away quickly out of sight over a 

 ridge. After looking at the nest we concealed ourselves in a 

 hollow, from which we could watch the spot where the nest was. 

 In about ten minutes a single bird came back and settled on the 

 beach not much more than ten feet from the nest. After a 

 succession of short runs, several of which were made in reverse 

 directions, it stood for a few moments quite still (actually not 

 more than twelve inches from its eggs), and then with a short 

 quick run settled on them. It was such a dull day that it was 

 most difficult to distinguish the bird as it ran over the pebbles, 

 and when it settled on its eggs it disappeared from my sight 

 altogether. We then again walked towards the nest, but I failed 

 to detect the bird move from its eggs, and only caught sight of 

 it when it took wing about ten feet away from its nest. The nest 

 contained three eggs, which I noticed were not all with the 

 pointed ends to the centre, and was situated on the crest of the 

 ridge of pebbles. The nest hollow was scratched out close to a 

 mossy patch of stones, and it was thickly lined with short broken 

 pieces of rotten twigs and sticks. I think this lining of the nest 

 with vegetable matter is unusual. The hollow measured 3 in. 

 diam. by f in. deep. 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. VII., June, 1903. s 



