GREY PLOVER. 
SQUATAROLA HELVETICA. 
As for as I have been able to ascertain, this species has never been known to remain and breed on our shores ; 
and it IS only within the last few years that its eggs have been properly authenticated, owing to a discovery 
made by Mr. Henry Seebohm and Mr. Harvie-Brown in 1875, when they “ took ten nests between the 22nd of 
June and the 12th of July in the valley of the Petchora, in lat. C8°.” This information is extracted from 
Mr. Seebohm s work on British Birds, and the author also states, “ It is not known that any authentic eggs of this 
interesting bird have been taken during the last ten years.” As Mr. Seebohm’s account of finding the^nests and 
egp of this species is exceeding amusing, I offer no apology for making an extract of one portion and inserting 
It in ‘ Rough Notes.’ The remarks concerning his repeated unsuccessful shots at the birds, eventually secured'" 
show how carefully he records the whole of his proceedings, utterly regardless of drawing attention to his 
failures and mishaps. 
“ We had not walked more than a couple of miles inland before we came upon a small party of Plovers. 
They were very wild, and we found it impossible to get within shot of them ; but a distant view tbrouoli our 
binoculars almost convinced us that we had met with the Grey Plover at last. We had not walked very far 
eoie other Plovers rose; and wo determined to commence a diligent search for the nest, and offered half a 
rouble to any of our men who should find one. Our interpreter laughed at us, and marched away into the 
tundra uith a C est impossible. Monsieur.’ We appealed to our Samoyede, who stroked his beardless chin, 
nd cautiously replied -nmalina’ (possible). The other men wandered aimlessly up and down; but th^ 
Samoyede tramped the ground systematically, and after more than an hour’s search found a nest on one of the 
dry tussocky ridges intersecting the bog, containing four eggs about the size and shape of those of the Golden 
ovei. but more like those of the Lapwing in colour. The nest was hollow, evidently scratched, perfectly 
ound, somewha deep, and containing a handful of broken slender twigs and reindeer-moss. Harvie-Brown 
ncealed himself as well as he could behind a ridge to lie in wait for the bird returning to the nest, and after 
half an hour s watching shot a veritable Grey Plover. Soon afterwards another of our men found a second nest 
Iso containing four eggs, in exactly a similar situation. Harvie-Brown took this nest also in hand and in about 
n hour succeeded in shooting the female. The third nest was found by the Samoyede. Tht ttoe I 1 y do vn 
hind a ridge some thirty yards from the nest, and after waiting a quarter of an hour caught sight of tl rd 
ext, untd she finally came within fifty yards of where I was lying. I had just made up my mind to risk a shot 
w en s e must have seen me, and flew right away. In a quarter of an hour I caught s“ht of hei aM 
