231 



congregate at certain spots, morning and evening, 

 and sliow off before the females, also sparring among 

 themselves, but this last is more of the nature of a 

 sham fight : "the show's the thing," and the females 

 walking about find themselves surrounded by would- 

 be wooers kneeling down before them, and showing 

 off their full beaut3^ 



One might go on for pages pointing out the great 

 variety of forms and plumages to be found within this 

 group, such as the Curlew, with its weird cry and long 

 curved bill, or the noisy Oyster Catcher with its red 

 and chisel-shaped beak ; the Avocet with its recurved 

 bill; the Stilt, with its long and awkward legs: one 

 and all modified to suit their particular environment, 

 but for want of space I must pass over them for the 

 present with the mere mention of the Snipe. In this 

 species the bill is greatly lengthened to facilitate its 

 searching the deep mud for its sustenance, and at 

 the extreme tip of which is placed a sense organ of 

 extreme delicacy with which it may find its unseen 

 prey. The nest is situated in suitable marshy places 

 throughout our Islands, and during the nesting 

 season it makes a curious " drumming " sound, 

 produced by the rapid vibration of its tail or wings 

 through the air. 



It now remains for me to give a few hints as to 

 how these birds may best be kept in captivit}^ 



Several of the larger kinds, such as the Curlew 

 and Oyster Catcher, should not be kept with the small 

 birds, but any species up to the size of a Peewit can 

 be kept among smaller birds with safety. 



They are somewhat difficult birds to procure ; a 

 certain number of Ruffs and Godwits come over 

 yearly, from Holland, generally in the spring, and 

 those species that breed with us are best obtained b}^ 

 rearing them from the nest. For this purpose it is of 



