OYSTER-CATCHER. 527 



Montagu was certainly mistaken in supposing that the 

 Oyster-catcher never quits the coast. Four examples are 

 recorded to have been shot at Godalming, which is many 

 miles from the sea ; I have known this bird killed as high 

 up the Thames as Oatlands, which is at least fifty miles 

 from the mouth of the river. Dr. Fleming says, " Though 

 usually considered as a shore bird, I have observed it breed- 

 ing on the islands in the Tummel, at Moulincarn, between 

 Dunkeld and Blair Athol." A correspondent in the Maga- 

 zine of Natural History, vol. vi. p. 151, in reference to this 

 subject, says, " During summer some may be always seen 

 along the Don, from twenty-five to thirty miles from the 

 sea ; and I have been told that they breed about Kil- 

 drummy, a few miles higher up." Thomas M. Grant, 

 Esq., of Edinburgh, also sent me word that they breed at 

 Ballindalloch, a Highland district at least twenty miles 

 from the sea. 



I have been favoured by James Harley, Esq., of Leices- 

 ter, with the following extract from his unpublished Cata- 

 logue of the Grallatorial Birds of Leicestershire and the 

 Midland Counties : " Pied Oyster-catcher ; rather rare. 

 This bird is occasionally killed on the Trent. In Jan- 

 uary, 1 838, one was killed on the banks of that river ; 

 and a few years ago, a pair of these birds were killed by 

 Mr. Bowman, off Melbourne Pool, on the borders of this 

 county." 



The young birds are frequently kept tame, and will 

 associate with domestic poultry : many persons will re- 

 collect the flock which some years ago used to run about 

 inside the railing on the grass in front of the Pavilion at 

 Brighton. 



These birds in a wild state unite towards winter, forming 

 small flocks, and are then very shy and difficult to approach. 

 In spring they separate again, forming pairs ; but of these 



