The Plover's Nest In a neighbouring field a number of
small boys were helping—or hindering—in the work of clearing the potato crop, when one of the workers discovered a plover's nest. They were filled with excitement at the spectacle, which seemed quite new to them ; and none so much as suggested the taking of an egg. However, their instructor was careful to point out that as there were four eggs in the scoop, and this was a full clutch, they were almost certainly too far set to be good to eat. On the subject of the plover, a neighbouring landowner evoked a very neat retort from Arthur Balfour. They were together On a committee dealing with bird protection, and were framing a clause about the nests of certain birds, including the plover. The landowner, who was also a well-known financier, suggested that the plover did not make a nest, and you could not concern yourself about a thing that did not exist, to which Balfour responded: "I thought that was just what you financiers did! "—and so the plover's nest became an allowed phrase.
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