98 My Waders' Aviary. 



winter and spring, whereas the Golden stays with us to breed. 

 Both are interesting and beautiful species for the Waders' 

 aviary, and the dietary given for the preceding species will 

 suffice for these also. 



The value of a pair varies from 10s. to 20s. 



The Oyster Catcher (Rcematopus ostralegus, LINN.), 

 is another very interesting and handsome species to Iceep; it 

 is fairly hardy, and soon settles down to aviary life, but a 

 liberal meat diet is necessary to its general well-being. This 

 species is also known as the Sea -pie and Mussel Catcher. 



Description: Adults. Head, nape, upper part of breast, 

 back, wiiig-s, and end of tail black; collar, base of tail feath'eir.s, 

 priimaries, wing band and under surface of body whitet; bill 

 orange -vermilion; irides crimson; feet I'eddish-ilesh colour. Total 

 length 16| inches. The young have the black areas mot/tied with 

 brown; the white areas dingy; bill and orbits dusky; feet greyish. 

 The arrangement of the colour areas is well shown on the plate 

 (fig. 3). The eggs are olivie-brown, blotclied and spotted with 

 ash-grey and black. The clutch is usually three, but occasionally 

 four leggs are depositied in the nest. 



In a ^vild state their food consists of mussels and other 

 bivalves, limpets, Crustacea, small fish, and marine plants. 



The value of a pair is about 25s. 



The Redshank {Totanus cdlidris, LINN.) A most in- 

 teresting species, very handsome as will be seen from fig. 

 1 of plate, in which the markings of the plumage and a 

 characteristic posture of the bird is shown. 



Description: Summer plumage. Upper parts buffish-brown 

 profusely barred and streaked with rich umber -brown; tail white, 

 thickly barred with dusky-black; under parts white, spotted an/^ 

 streaked with dusky-black; bill black, with the basal half of both 

 mandibles red; legs and feet vermilion -red. 



Total length 11 inches, bill Ij-. In the winter the upper 

 parts are ash-brown; rump white; undefi' parts wliitish-ash-grey, 

 vith a few ashy streaks and spots. 



The female is a little larger than tJie male and is more 

 rufous-brown on the mantle. 



The eggs usually number four and are greenish -yellow, 

 blotched and spotted with purplish-brown. 



In a wild state they feed on aquatic insects generally, 

 worms, Crustacea, small molluscs, and any animal matter to 

 be found on the sea-shore. In captivity it can be fed as the 

 other species described in these notes. 



