92 BIRD WATCHING 



The demeanour of the two birds is at once visibly 

 affected, and they begin to pipe again, though not so 

 vigorously as before. They continue to do so, more 

 or less, at intervals, the third bird (the female) remain- 

 ing always passive, and never once piping. All at 

 once one of the two pipers flies violently at the other, 

 who flies off, and is closely pursued by him. They 

 alight — it would seem together — on the edge of a 

 great rocky slab, but are instantly at some little 

 distance apart, looking at each other and bearing 

 themselves after the manner of rivals. How they 

 separated, whether as recoiling from a conflict, or 

 avoiding it, I cannot now say. The movements of 

 birds are often so quick, that the eye, though it may 

 follow, forgets them as they pass. On another occa- 

 sion, a bird close to where I sit, on hearing the pipe 

 from a rock a little off the shore, becomes excited, 

 pipes for a moment itself, and then darts ofi" to the 

 rock. On alighting, he instantly runs to the piping 

 bird, and the two pipe together to a third, exactly 

 as before. This third one, silent and unresponsive, 

 soon flies away. The piping instantly ceases, and 

 the two birds assume normal attitudes. 



" The note of the male oyster-catcher when thus 

 courting the female differs both from its ordinary one, 

 and, as I think, from that of the female. The usual 

 note is a loud ' wich, wich, wich,' or some similar 

 sharp, penetrative cry, constantly reiterated. The 

 pipe is a much more wonderful affair, and, though 

 harsh, is like a real composition. It is of long con- 

 tinuance, beginning with something like ' kee, kee, 

 kee, kee, ker-vie, ker-vie, ker-vie, ker-vie, ker-vie,' a 

 loud and ear-piercing clamour. Gradually, however, 



