BIRDS OF GUERNSEY. 131 



and quite within reach of heavy spray when there 

 was any sea on : we could distinctly see the eggs 

 when looking down from the cliffs on them, and the 

 two old hirds were walking about the ridge of rock 

 as if dancing on the tight-rope ; how they kept their 

 eggs in place on that narrow ridge, exposed as it 

 was to wind and sea, was a marvel. The Oyster- 

 catcher breeds also in both the small Islands, Jethou 

 and Herm, on almost all the rocky islands to the 

 north of Herm, in Sark and Alderney, and on 

 Burhou, near Alderney, where I found one clutch of 

 three of the most richly marked Oystercatcher's 

 eggs I ever saw : these, as well as another clutch, 

 also of three eggs, were placed on rather curious 

 nests ; they were on the smooth rock, but in both 

 cases the birds had collected a number of small 

 stones and made a complete pavement of them, on 

 which they placed their eggs; there was no pro- 

 tection, however, to prevent the eggs from rolling 

 off. Both in Burhou as well as on the Amfroques 

 and other rocks to the north of Herm, the eggs of 

 the Oystercatchers, as well as of the other sea-bii'ds 

 breedmg there, had been ruthlessly robbed by 

 fishermen and others, who occasionally visit these 

 wild rocks and carry off everything in the shape of 

 an egg, without paying any respect to the Bird Act, 

 which professes to protect the eggs as well as the 

 birds. 



Professor Ansted includes the Oystercatcher in his 



