THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 139 



at Ravenglass, on May 29th, in nearly full plum- 

 age ; and birds in nuptial dress have been shot at 

 Skinburness. On the Sol way, we usually meet with 

 Turnstones in small parties of five or six birds ; 

 but, on the west coast, Dr. Parker says that the 

 flocks of immature Turnstones are large, and he 

 has killed seven at a shot. Stray Turnstones occur 

 on our estuary rivers in August. They seldom 

 frequent our salt marshes, but odd birds are occa- 

 sionally shot on their margins. 



Genus H^MATOPUS. 



H. Osiralegus. Oystercatcher. 



The Oystercatcher is an abundant resident, 

 wonderfully numerous on the Sol way during the 

 winter months. Contrary to the habits of the 

 species in the north of Scotland, the Oystercatcher, 

 in Cumberland, is chiefly a littoral bird, constantly 

 nesting on extensive beds of shingle, though a few 

 pairs nestle among sandhills and in meadows near 

 the sea, as well as on the margin of the Solway salt 

 marshes. 



The nest is a slight depression in the sand or 

 shingle, frequently at a short distance above the 

 mark of a high tide. It is generally lined with 

 broken shells or inlaid with fine pebbles ; but some 

 nests have no linings, or are surrounded by a few 

 coarse straws. Others, again, are lined with both 

 pebbles and comminuted shells, fragments of rotten 

 wood being carefully disposed around ; and we have 

 seen a nest on the edge of Rocklifle marsh lined 



