OYSTER-CATCHER. 123 
and 1849, “they were common at Blakeney all the year 
round”; and, until within the last seven or eight years, 
their eggs used to be sent regularly every season to one of 
our Norwich bird-stuffers from the same neighbourhood, 
with those of the common and lesser tern. In 1860, on 
more than one occasion, in June, I saw two or three 
pairs at Salthouse, not frequenting the beach but passing 
along the coast, apparently making for some point still 
further westward; and in that direction, about Warham 
and Morston, a few pairs still breed, as far as I can 
ascertain, in such quiet spots as are yet suited to their 
habits. At Hunstanton, on the 16th of May, 1863, 1 
counted over one hundred in a flock, at low water, busily 
feeding at the edge of the great mussel-scalp. From the 
flatness of the shore it was impossible to approach them 
within shot, wary as they always are when in large 
bodies, and the tide had already fallen so low that I 
question if even a Breydon punt could have been worked 
up within range for a big gun. Thus, fortunately for 
them, and I think equally so for myself, I was obliged to 
be content with watching them through my glass, and 
they certainly presented one of the most animated 
eroups of feathered life I ever witnessed, from their 
varied attitudes, sharply contrasting colours, and loud 
ringing cries. They all disappeared when the tide rose, 
and from that time only a few were seen at different 
times till the 4th of June, when I again saw a flock of 
over sixty, but, like the former number, they were no 
doubt migrants, resting for a while on their passage 
northward, and were all gone on the following day. After 
that date I never observed more than one or two at any 
time, between Hunstanton and Holme, and from the 
cockle-gatherers, who are well acquainted with the 
habits of our shore birds, I learnt that the sea-pie had 
ceased to breed on the Holme shingles, but frequented 
the quiet coast-line between Thornham and Brancaster ; 
R 2 
