OYSTEB-CATCHEE 249 



party with Curlews, drawing close together on the highest 

 part of a bank, as the rising tide more and more curtailed 

 their foot-space. Here they remain until almost obliged 

 to swim, when the leader of the flock suddenly utters a 

 shrill cry ; at that moment the birds fly off. The Curlews 

 sometimes remain a while, their longer legs and feet allow- 

 ing them to wade in deeper water. 



Food. The Oyster-catcher is provided with a peculiarly- 

 constructed beak, laterally compressed, with which it strikes 

 limpets off the rocks when they are crawling ; it is blunted 

 at its extremities, so that no slender points can be 

 nipped or broken off by the closing action of the valves 

 of shell-fish. Such a beak seems admirably adapted for 

 prizing open the slightly gaping bivalve and robbing it 

 of its contents. Even in its first year the Oyster-catcher 

 has apparently strength enough to open the shells of cockles 

 and mussels, for on dissection I have found in the stomachs 

 of immature birds quantities of these creatures, 1 which had 

 been swallowed without their shells. Univalves are also 

 eaten, such as whelks, periwinkles, and limpets, together 

 with crabs, worms, 2 and small fish. I have found in 

 several gizzards small bivalves with unbroken shells which 

 measured 12 X 5 mm., also the ' opercula ' of periwinkles 

 measuring 12 mm. in diameter. 



I have known several Oyster-catchers to thrive well in 

 captivity. One presented to the Dublin Zoological Gardens 

 in 1901 never grew very tame, but it lived for some time on 

 chopped meat and fish. It was an adult bird, and retained 

 its winter-plumage throughout the summer. It lived in 

 harmony with a Turnstone, a Knot, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 

 and a Sanderling. Two others, one presented by Mr. 

 Walker and one by myself, became quite tame in a month 

 or so after being caged. Both these birds were adults. 



Voice. This bird, shy and watchful, constantly gives 

 utterance to its wild cry of ke-heep, ke-heep, ke-heep, both 

 on the ground and on the wing. The alarm-note heard at 

 the breeding-haunts sounds like quick, quick, quick. 



Flight. The flight, though well - sustained, is less 

 buoyant, and slower than that of most wading-birds. The 



1 There is no evidence that this bird feeds on oysters, as its name 

 would seem to imply. 



2 I have often found the stomach, and even the gullet and mouth of 

 this species packed full of sea-worms. 



