THE OYSTER CATCHER 225 



but just as it was being raised the jaws were 

 opened and the prey released ; its sides were 

 scored by the great teeth as if 'crimped,' as 

 was once the custom on Tweedside with 

 salmon. 



A well-known cry overhead calls attention to 

 a pair of oyster catchers flying down-stream to 

 a neighbouring ploughed field where sub- 

 sequently their nest was found a foolishly 

 named bird ; our Scottish designation of sea 

 pyet is surely more appropriate. In Gaelic it 

 is named ' Brideun ' or ' Gille-Bride ' St. 

 Bride's bird or servant. Wherefore it is so called 

 is obscure, but it is a quaint and noticeable bird 

 which, for some reason known perhaps to itself, 

 makes its way each spring from the seashore far 

 up our rivers to its breeding place. 



Another story is called to mind a little further 

 down, where the violent tactics of a trout caused 

 visions of something of really extraordinary 

 dimensions to arise ; but when brought to net 

 after a prolonged conflict it was somewhat dis- 

 appointing to find it was only a respectable 

 'pounder.' Hooked fairly in the mouth, the 

 casting-line had formed a running noose with 

 one of the droppers just above the tail, and so 

 lassoed, with all pressure on the mouth removed, 

 the trout had been able to fight in the strong 



