NESTING-SERIES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 177 



commonly greenish-buff, obliquely spotted and blotched, especially at 

 the larger end, with dark brown, pale brown, and grey. 



Norfolk, May. 

 Presented by Lord Walsinyhain. 



No. 1O9. OYSTER-CATCHER. (Hsematopus ostralegus.) 



The <( Sea-Pie," as this species is often called, is a common resident 

 on the shores of the British Islands, but most numerous during 

 the colder months of the year, when its numbers are augmented by 

 migrants from the Continent. Its food consists of crustaceans, as well 

 as mussels, whelks and limpets, which are extracted from their shells by 

 the bird's powerful bill. It breeds on the sea-shore above high-water 

 mark or on the stony beds of rivers : no real nest is made, but a slight 

 hollow is usually scraped in the sand or shingle and often lined with 

 fragments of shells. The eggs, generally three in number, are pale 

 brownish-buff, spotted and streaked with dark brown and ash-grey. 



Scilly Islands, June. 

 Presented by Edward Bidwell, Esq. 



No. HO. KNOT. (Tringa canutus.) 



A regular visitor to the British coasts, arriving from the north in 

 large flocks in autumn and remaining till May, when all except the 

 non-breeding birds return to North Greenland, Arctic America, and 

 North-western Siberia. On July 30th, 1876, Colonel Feilden, when 

 naturalist to H.M.S. ' Alert/ found this species breeding near a small 

 lake on Grinnell Land in lat. 82 33' N., and obtained the old and 

 young birds exhibited in the Case. 



The four pear-shaped eggs have the ground-colour pale green or 

 yellowish-white blotched and spotted with dark brown and violet-grey 

 (cf. 'Ibis/ 1904, p. 233). 



In winter the plumage of the upper-parts is ash-grey and the under- 

 parts are white spotted with grey. 



Presented by Colonel H. W. Feilden, C.B. 



No. 111. CURLEW. (Numenius arquata.) 



This species is common on the British coasts throughout the year ; 

 but in spring the adult bird* retire inland to the moors and uplands 



