AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 27 



improbable that the eggs of any bird of the Crow 

 family would meet with ready purchasers. 



I have met with the Peewit in great numbers 

 during the winter and early spring in most parts of 

 the shores of the Mediterranean and throughout 

 Spain. 



In captivity these birds become very tame, and are 

 extremely ornamental ; if turned out in a garden of 

 any extent they do not require to be artificially fed 

 so long as the weather is open. 



140. OYSTER-CATCHER. 



Hcematopus ostralegus. 



I adopt the common English name of this species, 

 though it is, of course, an absurd misnomer — firstly, 

 because oysters can hardly be said to require catching, 

 and, secondly, because the bird does not feed upon 

 them. " Sea-Pie," a name by which it is known on 

 some parts of our coasts, is, I think, a very much 

 more appropriate designation for this species, "Mussel- 

 picker " still better, but as I have no hope that orni- 

 thologists in general will be induced to change a 

 long-established misapplication of terms by anything 

 that I can write, I am, in this instance, obliged to 

 follow " in the ruck." 1 am acquainted with several 

 instances of the occurrence of this species in North- 

 amptonshire. One of those that have come to my 

 knowledge was communicated to me by the Rev. E. 

 P. Williams Freeman, Rector of Cla23ton, by letter 

 dated March 19th, 1884, in the following words: — 

 "On the afternoon of 12th December, 1883, the 

 Clapton gamekeeper, G. Trowbridge, was crossing a 



