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birds called Ring-necks, which are nearly as common as the 
Peeps, also belong to the Plover family. We have two of them, 
the Ring Plover and the Piping Plover, and also an allied species 
the well-known Kildeer. The first of them is rather the com¬ 
moner and may be seen almost anywhere along the shore, while 
the Piping Plover is often found on the Second beach. The much 
sought after Grass Plover,—now no longer common here—is usu¬ 
ally classed with the Sandpipers. Of the Curlews we have the 
Long-billed Curlew or Sickle-bill, a large bird with a bill a foot 
long, the Hudsonian or Jack Curlew, and, if I am not mistaken, 
the Esquimaux Curlew or Dough Bird has also been shot here. 
The two varieties of Godwit or Marlin are met with rarely. 
Then we have the Turnstone which frequents the rocky shores 
and rejoices in the various names of Rock Plover, Brant Bird, 
Plorsefoot Snipe and Calico-back. A good many of these birds 
make a very brief visit to us in spring on their way to their north¬ 
ern breeding places, but are more abundant and stay much longer 
on their return when they are with us during the months of 
August and September and are much sought after by sportsmen. 
The best place for shooting most of them is the marsh at Easton’s 
pond, as the larger species are not often found upon the beaches. 
The usual way of obtaining them, as is well known to many of 
those present, is for the sportsman to take a basket of wooden 
or tin decoys painted to imitate the different species, and before 
day-break to go down to the marsh and choose one of the pond 
holes, often however to find it previously occupied—as even at 
that early hour there is great competition. If, notwithstanding, 
he succeeds in obtaining a place, he puts out his decoys in the 
water, fastened upon sticks and, making a blind to screen himself, 
sits down behind it with his back to the wind—regardless of the 
mud and the mosquitos. His patience is often greatly tried as 
sometimes for hours there is nothing to be heard except perhaps the 
peculiar squeaking cry of a Rail or the dip of a Swallow as it 
touches with its wing the surface of the water, but, at other times, 
particularly at the moment when the sun begins to color the 
eastern sky, a distant whistle is heard. The sportsman seizes his 
gun which has been lying idly by his side, crouches down and 
begins to whistle in return, and gradually the sounds come 
nearer and a flock of some variety of shore birds is seen 
