56 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



be seen retreating with the incoming tide and 

 advancing with the outgoing, picking up all it can 

 find in the way of shrimps, sea worms, etc. 



With regard to the strength of this bird's bill, Mr, 

 W. H. Hudson says: "With his strong wedged 

 shape bill he strikes the limpets from the rocks 

 and scoops out their contents, and he opens the 

 mussel shells by driving his beak between the 

 closed valves and prising them apart." 



In continuation of this same question, a friend 

 told me — when staying at Arthog Hall Hotel, 

 near Barmouth, in the winter of 1906 — he had seen 

 these birds flying over the railway bridge that spans 

 the estuary and drop mussels on to the footpath 

 that runs parallel to the permanent way in order to 

 break the shells. On examining this footway to 

 verify the assertion I found plenty of broken mussel 

 shells scattered about, which seemed to support my 

 friend's statement. It is well known that some 

 other birds break mussel shells in this way. 



According to Howard Saunders, "the Arctic circle 

 forms the northern limit of its range in Asia in the 

 summer," and "Burmah, Ceylon, India, Baluchistan, 

 and Persia duringr cold weather." 



CASE 7, 



THE PINTAIL. 



Oi^der, Anseres. Family, AnatidcB. 



This very elegant graceful Duck, often called by 

 the local name of " Sea Pheasant" from the length 



