100 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



about some small young ones. Throwing themselves about in 

 an altogether abandoned manner, lying down on their sides 

 with one wing flapping weakly in the air and its feathers blown 

 up by the wind, broken surely ! ' The birds in fact were acting 

 the badly wounded bird to perfection. Often as we may have 

 seen the performance, who can help pausing to look at it again, 

 wondering at this plain indication of thinking, or exhibition of 

 thoughtful intelligence ! When a clutch of eggs is the treasure 

 it is enough to steal away quietly and unseen if possible. But 

 when there are downy young to be considered the case is 

 desperate ; the man must be got away somehow. So this must 

 run in the Plovers' broad bullet heads. Let us pretend we are 

 broken-winged and helpless, so that he will think he has only to 

 make a quick run forward to secure one of us (we know he would 

 like to get hold of us). Struggle on a bit, lamely, and then 

 tumble down again. He is following. If he makes two or three 

 more rushes he will be led away a good distance. Now we have 

 got him to a safe distance ; no need to do more. So we will 

 now go back, "pee-ep." And with their quick glancing flight they 

 fly round us, and are again running over the pebbles not far 

 from where we first caught sight of them. Surely there is 

 reasoning power and thinking intelligence here ? While sitting 

 weather-bound under the stern of the ' Idea ' of Carnarvon, 

 thrown far up on this dangerous shore last winter, listening to 

 the heavy roar of the tide flowing in over the quicksands, I saw 

 three old Lesser Terns and half a dozen Oystercatchers. At the 

 end of summer, at all events, food for little waders is very 

 abundant on the sands. On hot sunny mornings near the tide 

 edge Sand-hoppers swarm, especially near Aberdaron ; as you 

 walk along they jump up literally in thick clouds. There were 

 a few little waders there sometimes. Ringed Plovers, young 

 and old, a Sanderling, and a Dunlin or two, and also some 

 Common Sandpipers, both there and at other places, rocky and 

 sandy. At night I used to hear all these and also Golden Plover 

 and Curlew. The last-named, like Peewits, were to be seen 

 feeding on the grassy cliff tops and in the fields among the 

 sheep. 



Shearwaters, at this time of year at all events, when the 

 Mackerel are in, are to be seen abroad until well on into the 



