GOLDEN PLOVER. 
157 
THE GOLDEN PLOVEIL 
Charadvius jjluvicdis. 
This bird is common throughout the islands at all seasons, — the 
number, always large, being greatly increased for a few weeks 
in autumn by the very extensive flocks which then arrive. 
In spring and summer the birds are dispersed over the breeding 
grounds ; but about the end of July, the young ones then 
being strong on the wing, the families collect into flocks, and 
continue together until the return of spring, at least for the 
most part, it being pretty certain that many of the native 
birds accomj)any the strange flocks on their way southward. 
In winter they keep mostly to the low grounds, and in hard 
weather resort constantly to the shore, often puzzling the 
inexperienced gunner by their black appearance when seen 
against the snow and the broken fragments of ice. When they 
are feeding at night, at the foot of a hillside burn or on 
swampy ground, it is often quite easy to walk among the party 
before they take flight, which act is always accompanied by a 
peculiarly terrifled scream, shriller and more hurried than that 
which is uttered upon ordinary occasions of alarm. Like most 
other birds, they are far more heedless of danger in the early 
morning than at any other time. Newly arrived flocks, 
although tolerably familiar at first, soon become very wild ; 
but it is with the home-bred birds that the shooter experiences 
the greatest difficulty, and with them it is often necessary to 
resort to various devices in order to get within shot. The 
most usual of these are, keeping the gun out of sight, crawling 
upon “ all fours,” or walking up by the side of a pony. In 
some parts of the hills, which are frequently crossed by peat- 
women — seldom by any men except those who carry guns — I 
have occasionally strapped a plaid round my waist, petticoat 
fashion (peat -women dispense with crinolines on week-days), 
and by such means I have been able to obtain several shots 
before the trick was discovered. Eiders can always approach 
within thirty or forty yards of a flock before it will take alarm. 
