30 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



and fishy in flavour, and they are certainly most 

 conspicuously ornamental in many places whose 

 aspect would be dreary without them. In Scotland 

 many of these birds breed on the shingly banks and 

 islets of rivers, at a great distance from the sea, such 

 as the Spey, the Tay and its affluent streams ; we 

 were frequently visited in August and September at 

 Gaick in Inverness-shire by family parties of four or 

 five, no doubt excursionists from the breeding-places 

 on the first-named river, some eleven miles from our 

 lodge. These parties frequented the sandy southern 

 end of the largest of a chain of three small lochs, the 

 head waters of the river Tromie ; their food, whilst 

 with us there, seemed to consist of small freshwater 

 mollusks and various insects. I cannot say that I 

 ever noticed that they searched for earthworms, of 

 which they could, if so disposed, have found an 

 abundant supply in the rushy meadows that fringed 

 their favourite sand-banks. 



The Oyster-catcher is tolerably common as a vernal 

 migrant on the lower Guadalquivir and in other parts 

 of Spain. I have also met with it in many other 

 districts of Southern Europe. For many years past 

 the aviary at Lilford has seldom been for any length 

 of time without two or more of these handsome birds, 

 which I procure generally from Leadenhall Market, 

 they become very tame, and feed readily on raw 

 chopped liver, broken bread, small snails, and earth- 

 worms, all of which food is carefully washed before 

 being swallowed. In the summer my Oyster-catchers 

 eke out their diet by the capture of many house-flies, 

 and it is surprising to observe the accuracy with 

 which they pick these insects from the brickwork 

 and gravel, with beaks apparently ill adapted for the 



