NESTING-SEKIES Ol' liKITISII HIHDS. 177 



comuiouly j^rceiiisli-butf, obliquely spotted and hlotched^ especially at 

 the larger end, with dark brown, pale brown, and grey. 



Norfolk, May. 



Presented Itij Lord ]Vuls'inijhuin. 



No. 109. OYSTER-CATCHER. (Htematopus ostmlegus.) 



The " Sea-Pie," as this species is often called, is a common resident 

 on the shores of the British Islands, but most numerous during 

 the colder months of the year, w hen its numbers are augmented by 

 migrants from the Continent. Its food consists of crustaceans, as well 

 as mussels, whelks and limpets, which are extracted from their shells by 

 the bird's poweiful bill. It breeds on the sea-shore above high-water 

 mark or on the stony beds of rivers : no real riest is made, but a slight 

 hollow is usually scraped in the sand or shingle and often lined with 

 fragments of shells. The eggs, generally three in number, arc pale 

 brownish-buff, spotted and streaked with dark browu and ash-grey. 



Scilly Islands, June. 



Presented hij Ednuird liidn'ell, l\sq. 



No. no. KNOT. (Triiigji caimtus.) 



A regular visitor to the JSritish coasts, arii\iiii;' IVom the north in 

 large Hocks in autumn and remaining till May, when all except the 

 non-breeding birds return to North Greenland, Arctic America, and 

 North-western Siberia. ()u .July 80th, 187G, Colonel FeildeUj when 

 naturalist to H.M.S. 'Alert,' found this species breeding near a small 

 lake on GrinncU Land in hit. 82^ '■i'd' N., and obtained the old and 

 young birds exhibited in the Case. 



The four pear-shaped eggs have the ground-colour pale green or 

 yellowisb-white blotched and spotted with dark bi'owu and violet-grey 

 [cf. 'Ibis,' 1904, p. 233). 



lu w iuter the plumage of the upper-parts is ash-grey and the under- 

 parts are white spotted with grey. 



Presented hj Colonel H. //'. Feildeii, C.B. 



No. 111. CURLEW. (N"uiueuius aiquatii.) 



This species is common on the British coasts throughout the year ; 

 but in spriug the adult birdt^ retire inland to the moors and uplands 



