108 TBB PIED OYSTER-CATCHER. 



TAtham observes, that the young are said to be hatched ii 

 ■brut three weeks ; and though they are wild when in flockg, 

 yet are easily brought up tame, if taken young. " I have 

 known them," says he, " to be thus kept for a long time, 

 frequenting the ponds and ditches during the day, attending 

 the ducks and other poultry to shelter of nights, and 

 not unfrequently to come up of themselves as evening 

 approaches." 



The female sits on her eggs only during the night, or in 

 remarkably cold and rainy weather ; at other times the heat 

 of the sun and of the sand, which is sometimes great, 

 renders incubation unnecessary. But although this is the 

 «ase, she is not deficient in care or affection. She watches 

 the spot with an attachment, anxiety, and perseverance, that 

 are really surprising, till the time arrives when her little 

 offspring burst their prisons, and follow the guiding voice 

 of their mother. When there is appearance of danger, they 

 squat on the sand, from which they are with difficulty 

 distinguished, while the parents make large circuits around 

 the intruder, alighting sometimes on this hand, sometimes 

 on that, uttering repeated cries, and practising the common 

 affectionate stratagem of counterfeited lameness, to allure 

 him from their young. 



ILLUSTRATIVE ANECDOTES. 



Some time ago (says Mr. Wilson) I receired a stuffed 

 ipeoimen of the Oyster-Catcher, from a gentleman of Boston, 



