88 BIRDS OF ICELAND 



Hsematopus ostralegus, Linn. 

 Oyster-Catcher. 



Native name : ' Tjaldur.' 



Icelanders used to believe that this bird was the 

 female of the Turnstone (the two have, of course, a 

 sort of superficial resemblance in colouring), and the 

 two vernacular names seem to be closely connected. 



Not uncommon on the southern coasts, where it is 

 to be found all the year through ; but in the north in 

 summer only, and rarely. I have never seen much of 

 it inland in the breeding season (to nothing like the 

 same extent as it may be met with in some parts 

 of Perthshire, for instance), but odd pairs do occur, 

 though not at any great distance from the coast. It 

 should never be shot but by any one v/ho wants a 

 specimen for preservation, as it is perfectly harmless, 

 as well as worthless for the table. 



The nest is to be looked for on shingle-beds near the 

 sea just above high- water mark, or on the rock ledges 

 or the grassy summits of little islets — rarely on shingly 

 or gravelly places at any distance from salt water. It 

 consists of a mere hollow, sometimes lined with the 

 native gravel only, sometimes with a little seaweed or 

 grass. The eggs, which are probably three only in the 

 generality of cases in Iceland, though as often four in 

 England, are of a light clay buff in ground colour, 

 spotted and streaked (sometimes boldly blotched) with 

 light grey-brown and black; length 2 J inches. 



