BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 261 



bents are employed, or the eggs are laid on drifted 

 seaweed. 



Eggs. Two to four, usually three. I have never 

 seen a clutch of four myself. Yellowish, stone, or 

 cream colour, streaked, blotched, and spotted with 

 dark brown and grey. Occasionally the markings 

 are inclined to form a zone at the larger end, but 

 generally they are pretty evenly distributed over 

 the shell. Size about 2.2 by 1.5 in. (See Plate VIII.) 



Time. May and June. 



Remarks. Resident. Notes : a clamorous chat- 

 tering when the nest is approached. Local and 

 other names : Sea Pie, Olive, Mussel Picker, Pienet, 

 Tirma, Sea Piet, Trillichan, Chaldrick, Scolder, 

 Sheldraker or Skelderdrake. Sits lightly, and gener- 

 ally has intimation of the approach of an intruder 

 given by the male, which also assists in work of 

 incubation, as I have proved by watching the birds 

 take turn and turn about on the eggs from a stone 

 hiding house built within ten feet of a nest in the 

 Outer Hebrides. 



OYSTER-CATCHER AND NEST. 



