MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 287 



SEASIDE SCAVENGERS 



In the sunnier days of summer the Sandhopper 

 (Talitrus locusta) is fairly common on the beach, 

 spending much of its time amongst the debris cast 

 up at the tide-mark. One has but to turn over the 

 refuse there accumulated to bring to light swarms 

 of all sizes, which are soon surprisedly skipping away 

 to other places of shelter, and disappearing again as 

 if by magic. There is very little that is of an animal 

 or a vegetable character that defies their powers of 

 assimilation ; dead fish, birds, weeds, and even bits 

 of writing-paper anything, in fact, that can be 

 nibbled, is good enough for them. Young and old 

 are as busy as bees. It may be that the young 

 remain with their parents until they attain maturity, 

 as suggested by a certain writer ; but I am inclined 

 to think that the gregarious habits of the species 

 have more to do with the keeping together of great 

 and small than any possible family ties or mutual 

 understanding. The Ringed Plover and many 

 another small shore-bird are close students of the 

 doings of the species, and account for the demise 

 of not a few. 



In the August of 1899, early one morning, I 



