TheSea-Pie.1 OF ORKNEY. 91 



ge:nus XXL— the oyster-catcher. 



Gen. Char. — Bill long, compressed, the end cuneated ; nostrils linear ; tongue, 

 scarce a third the length of the bill ; toes, only three, the middle joined to the 

 exterior by a strong membrane. 



Species 1. — The Sea-Pie. 



Wil. Om. 297. Rail Syn. Av. 105. H^matopus Ostralegiis, Lin. Sys. 257. 

 Brit. Zool. 376. Sib. Scot. 19. Ore. Sceolder. 



This bird is found on our rocky coasts, where it lives on 

 the hmpets, and other shell-fish. It continues with us the whole 

 year, and builds here. 



The bill is most excellently contrived to procure its living ; 

 it is long, strong, and compressed sidewise, so that if it finds 

 a limpet but a little way from the rock, it easily insinuates its 

 bill between the shell and the rock, and brings it off in a mo- 

 ment. If the limpet is on its guard, and more firmly fastened, 

 it knocks it off as dextrously as any fisherman when he wants 

 it to bait his line. 



It is sometimes eaten, but the flesh is very wild, has much 

 the taste of limpets, its food, which makes it not much sought 

 after. 



The colours of this bird, though few, are good, and their 

 mixture produces a good effect. The head, neck, back, and 

 part of the coverts are a fine full black, in some birds (cocks, 



