6 
SHORE BIRDS. 
They have a penchant for “horsefoot” eggs, and display con¬ 
siderable ingenuity in discovering these delicate morceaux, as 
they lie buried in the sand. When any particular spot is suspect¬ 
ed, they commence scratching a la hen, and poking out the eggs 
wi h their bills. Turnstones seem as well to enjoy the rich 
repast, often joining in the search, and when found, a free 
fight ensues to see who shall possess the prize. Canutus 
also feeds on the insects, fish-spawn and other glutinous sub¬ 
stances found at low tide attached to eel grass and other 
aquatic plac s. It is presumed they go very far north to breed, 
as they are abundant all the way from the Great Lakes to Cape 
Breton and the Magdalen Islands, or more to the eastward 
than most of the shore birds. The adult males begin to re¬ 
turn about the 26th of July, followed by the females, and 
still later by the young, who do not all retire before the fore¬ 
part of October. 
Strepsilas interpret , Ill., with as many aliases as a pick¬ 
pocket, is sti 1 a very clever little fellow, but hardly belongs 
to any family. They arrive about the 15th of May, not in 
large flocks, but singly or in groups of three or four individ¬ 
uals, feeding along the edge of the tide, or dilligently turn¬ 
ing over small stones or pebbles, exploring every nook and 
corner to find any tiny crab, flea cr worm that may lie se¬ 
creted there. They are not particularly shy birds, and as 
they decoy well, are easily killed from blinds or stands, 
though their call note is ever so hard to imitate. Early in 
August they come straggling along back, feeding much as in 
spring, nor do they ever go on to the marshes or fields, except 
when driven by wind or tide. 
The blackbreasted plover—beetle-head ( Squatarola helveti - 
ca, Cuv.) is the largest of the plover family. The date fixed 
for their arrival in some sportsmen’s calendar is May 16, 
though in a favorable season they appear a few days earlier. 
Their round, full note is the “sportsmens joy,” though we 
have for years protested against the slaughter of these noble 
birds just as they are on the verge of the breeding season. 
Every true sportsman must feel in autumn at wbat a fearful 
cost he gets a few days’ shooting m spring. Every year the 
