122 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



place of resort was the margin of that tidal basin at 

 Holme, to which I have before alluded, which, though 

 at flood tide presenting a wide sheet of water, has a 

 swampy marsh at one end, covered with coarse grasses, 

 glasswort (Salicornia herbacea) , locally called samphire, 

 and other marine vegetation. Here, when scattered 

 amongst the rank herbage, and not seen at times till 

 they rose, I obtained most of my specimens, and by a 

 lucky right and left on the 8th of June, the last day of 

 my visit, secured the four males and two females, whose 

 diversity of colouring I have already described. 



Like many others of its class, should a sanderling 

 happen to fall, " winged," into the water, it swims lightly 

 and fearlessly, and, recovering itself in an instant, makes 

 at once for the shore. In the sea, also, it rides buoyantly 

 on the little billows, and with the most perfect coolness 

 allows itself to be washed ashore, making oif at an 

 almost incredible pace as soon as it gains a footing. It 

 is further noticeable, in all such cases, that although the 

 bird may have fallen from some height into the water 

 the wounded wing, only, is saturated with wet ; yet that 

 the rest of the plumage should be impervious to the 

 water must surely, in these birds, be owing simply to 

 muscular contraction. 



mSMATOPUS OSTRALEGUS, Linnseus. 

 OYSTEE-CATCHEE. 



The Oyster-catcher or Sea-pie as it is locally termed, 

 once abundant enough in the breeding season on the 

 northern shores of this county, can now only be claimed 

 as a resident through some few scattered pairs still linger- 

 ing in one or two of the wildest and most retired of 

 their former haunts. Mr. Dowell remarks that in 1848 



