40 



Oyster Catcher. It might possibly have a chance 

 to make a meal off a few mussels by swallowing 

 some of the smaller shells whole, like an Eider or 

 a Herring Gull, but what use an oyster could 

 possibly be to it I am at a loss to understand.* 



These birds occasionally collect in immense 

 flocks ; I have frequently found at least two or 

 three thousand feeding together on the mudbanks 

 at the Little Ferry, near Golspie in Sutherland. 

 From never having been disturbed they were 

 perfectly fearless, and would not take the slightest 

 notice of a boat, allowing us to scull past in the 

 punt within five or ten yards, while in pursuit of 

 other fowl. Being of little or no use, I never tried 

 a shot at them with the big gun, though, had I 

 been so inclined, I might easily have bagged from 

 150 to 200 at a shot. 



The Oyster Catcher chooses a variety of 

 situations for breeding purposes. At the Fern 

 Islands it lays its eggs on the shingle and sand at a 

 short distance above high-water mark. On several 

 of the Scotch rivers, such as the Spey or the Tay, 

 it nests amongst the rough stones that form the 

 banks of the river, while in some districts in the 

 Highlands it chooses any open spot in either a 

 potato or oat field where, until the crops get up, it 

 sits plainly in view of everyone that passes within 

 a mile of the spot. I have also seen its eggs on 

 some of the large detached rocks that are found off 

 the west coast of Ross and Sutherland. 



The specimens in the case were obtained on 

 the banks of the Lyon in Perthshire in June, 1867. 



* I have been informed that it frequently 

 crushes the shells of the mussels, and extracting 

 the fish, leaves the fragments scattered over the 

 rocks ; and this information is given as an irresisti- 

 ble proof of the strength of its beak. 



