20 H^EMATOPUS OSTRALEGUS. 



The female sits on her eggs only during the night, 

 or in remarkahly cold and rainy weather; at other 

 times the heat of the sun and of the sand, which is 

 sometimes great, renders incubation unnecessary. But 

 although this is the case, she is not deficient in care or 

 affection. She watches the spot with an attachment^ 

 anxiety, and perseverance, that are really surprising, 

 till the time arrives when her little offspring hurst their 

 prisons, and follow the guiding voice of their mother. 

 When there is appearance of danger, they squat on the 

 sand, from which they are with difficulty distinguished, 

 while the parents make large circuits around the 

 intruder, alighting sometimes on this hand, sometimes 

 on that, uttering repeated cries, and practising the 

 common affectionate stratagem of counterfeited lame- 

 ness, to allure him from their young. 



These birds run and fly with great vigour and velocity. 

 Their note is a loud and shrill whistling wheep-wheep- 

 wheOy smartly uttered. A flock will often rise, descend, 

 and wheel in air with remarkable regularity, as if 

 drilled to the business, the glittering white of their 

 wings at such times being very conspicuous. They are 

 more remarkable for this on their first arrival in the 

 spring. Some time ago, I received a stuffed specimen 

 of the oyster-catcher, from a gentleman of Boston, an 

 experienced sportsman, who, nevertheless was unac- 

 quainted with this bird. He informed me, that two 

 very old men to whom it was shewn called it a hagdel. 

 He adds, " it was shot from a flock, which was first 

 discovered on the beach near the entrance of Boston 

 Harbour. On the approach of the gunner, they rose, 

 and instantly formed in line, like a corps of troops, and 

 advanced in perfect order, keeping well dressed. They 

 made a number of circuits in the air previous to bring 

 shot at, but wheeled in line; and the man who fired 



are easily brought up tame, if taken young. " I have known them," 

 says he, " to be thus kept for a long time, frequenting tin- p<uid 

 and ditches during the day, attending the ducks and other poultry 

 to shelter of nights, and not unfrequently to come up of themselves 

 . as evening approaches." General Synopsis, vol. iii, p. --<-'. 



