THE SAND-PLOVERS. 
169 
The nestlings themselves are adepts at hiding, their mottled 
plumage closely resembling the variegation of their stony sur- 
roundings. If the observer walks erect the chances of dis- 
covering the nestlings are small indeed, even if he knows that 
the little ones are running away from him ; for it is almost impos- 
sible to perceive them above. I have, however, captured several 
nestlings by resting my head on the shingle, when the little crea- 
tures become distinctly visible against the sky-line, as they run 
along with wonderful swiftness for such tiny objects. I could 
never bring myself to kill any of these fluffy little balls of down, 
with their great dark eyes and abnormally long legs ; and later 
in the autumn I have been rewarded by seeing flocks of Ken- 
tish Sand-Plovers feeding on the green herbage which skirts the 
harbours after the tide has receded. I once saw, from behind 
my shelter of a mud-bank, more than forty of these pretty birds 
feeding on the green moss near Romney Hoy, and a more in- 
teresting sight can scarcely be imagined. 
Nest. — None, the eggs being laid in a little depression of fine 
sand, occasionally the hollow being deep enough for the eggs 
to stand almost upright ; they have also been found on heaps 
of sea-weed. 
Mr. Robert Read sends me a note on his experiences ; — 
“ The eggs of the Kentish Sand-Plover are, in my opinion, the 
most difficult eggs of any of the Plover family to discover, at all 
events in this country. Without watching the bird and mark- 
ing it down on to its nest it is impossible to find the eggs. 
Once, after watching a bird through my field-glasses for more 
than three hours, 1 at length discovered a tiny fluffy young 
one crouching amongst the shingle, and only with the greatest 
difficulty distinguishable from its surroundings. Later on I 
was fortunate enough, after only about fifteen minutes’ watch- 
ing, to discover a second nest with three fresh eggs. They 
were laid on the bare shingle without the slightest pretence of 
a hollow, much less of a nest, and so closely did their ground- 
colour and markings assimilate to the colour and weather- 
stained markings on the pebbles that even when standing 
within six feet of them, if one took one’s eyes off for a moment, 
it required a very careful scrutiny before they could be again 
recognised. I have never known more than three eggs to be 
found in one nest.” 
