EGGS OF BEITISH BIRDS. 119 



THE OYSTER CATCHER. 

 (Hamatopus ostralegus.) 



Plate 38, Fig. 8. 



The Oyster Catcher is comparatively rare on the low-lying 

 coasts or those which are much frequented. North of Yorkshire 

 and Lancashire, and throughout the entire coast-line of Scotland, 

 it is much more common, and in many localities breeds in 

 abundance. It frequents nearly all the adjacent islands, in- 

 cluding the Orkneys, Shetlands, and the Hebrides, and even 

 isolated St. Kilda. It is commonly distributed on the Irish 

 coasts, and is found from the Atlantic to the valley of the Ob. 



The nest is merely a little hollow amongst the rough shingle 

 and broken shells, or in the sand. It is about six inches across, 

 and about an inch deep, and is lined with little scraps of shells 

 and small pebbles, generally more or less neatly and smoothly 

 arranged. 



The eggs of the Oyster Catcher are three, and occasionally four, 

 in number, sometimes only two, but three is the usual clutch. 

 The ground-colour is pale buff, sometimes pale brownish-buff, 

 blotched, spotted, and streaked with dark brown, and with under- 

 lying markings of grey. Some eggs are much more streaked 

 than others ; some are uniformly spotted over the entire surface, 

 others have most of the markings in an irregular zone round the 

 large end. They vary in length from 2"35 to 2 - 07 inches, and in 

 breadth from l - 6 to 1*47 inch. Some eggs of the Oyster Catcher 

 are indistinguishable from exceptionally dark eggs of the Stone- 

 Curlew ; but the latter are, on an average, smaller, and the 

 markings are not so dark and decided ; others somewhat resemble 

 certain varieties of those of the Sandwich Tern. 



THE TURNSTONE. 



(Ch aradrius in terpres.) * 

 Plate 38, Figs. 7, 9. 

 The Turnstone must be regarded as a visitor to the British 

 Islands on spring and autumn migration, but a few remain during 



* Strepsilns interpres — Saunders, Manual, p, 541. Arenaria interpres — Sharpe, 

 Handb., III., p. 170. 



