10 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES, 



at the impropriety of my visit at this unseasonable 

 .and unlooked-for hour. I killed a couple of these 

 birds, each of them being winged by the shot, and 

 offering, ere finally disposed of, a very determined and 

 pugnacious resistance. Having loaded for the second 

 time, I pressed on beyond alow sandy brow still nearer 

 to the water, the undischarged barrel of my piece con- 

 taining a green cartridge, in case a more distant object 

 should irremediably present itself. At this moment, 

 careering at a great height, there passed an amazing 

 flight of oysterca tchers (Hcematopus ostralcgus), the 

 nature of the birds being at once evident from the 

 speed with which they cut the air, carrying their long 

 pointed mandibles straight before them, in a direct 

 line with the centre of their bodies, and giving utter- 

 ance, one and all, to a sustained, high-pitched, piping 

 note, almost amounting to a shake. They were, to 

 all intents and purposes, considerably beyond the 

 reach of an ordinary charge ; but, singling out my 

 bird, I fired my cartridge-barrel just as the main 

 body, in the act of a most rapid sweep, were com- 

 mencing their passage to the opposite shore. Owing 

 to the smoke which hung upon the still air, I en- 

 tirely lost sight of my particular victim in the melee. 

 The whole flock continued its course in unbroken 

 phalanx, nor could I notice any perceptible change 

 in the deportment of a single individual member. 



