Page:Bird-lore Vol 06.djvu/162

 A Visit to the Lake Erie Terns :27

too young or too weak to ﬁght: one is hiding. the other running away. Both of these schemes were practiced very skilfully hr the little 'I‘erns. When we ﬁrst landed we saw many of the half-grown birds making off. and in a few minutes the island seemed almost deserted. Many of the larger ones had taken to the water: but when we looked closely under stones and amongst the rubbish we found. to our surprise. that the place was still swarming with birds. Every plant had a chick at its root.and under logs and overhanging rocks there were sometimes a dozen. ’l‘he hiding places of the chicks are generally close to the nests. These are often

Khsl‘ .txn was or comm); run

on windrows of driftwood or rubbish. with whose colors their brownish speckled down blends perfectly.

The older birds run away from the nests and hide among thestones. which match their developing feathers hotter than the debris. It maybe observed here that while the newly hatched birds match the nests. and the half-grown ones the stones. as they grow older and gain power of ﬂight, the protective coloring is lost entirely. and the adult is a creature of beautiful and striking contrasts, Of the 'squahs.‘ many play the trick of the Ostrich. sticking its head into sand. If they can ﬁnd a cover (or their heads. they are content to have the rest of the body in full View. The one photographed was so conﬁdent of his safety that it was only with much vigorous prodding that he could be dragged out. Many ‘freeze in their tracks' without trying to conceal themselves at