Mr. Selby on the Birds of the Farn Islands. 457 



The Oyster Catcher breeds upon several of the Islands. It 

 makes no nest, but its four eggs are deposited upon the shingle 

 or gravel, to which they assimilate so much in colour, as not to be 

 found without the narrowest search. The old birds shew great 

 anxiety when the nest or young are approached, and fly around 

 the head of the intruder with clamorous outcries. The membra- 

 nous appendages which border the toes of the Hcematopus^ and 

 which connect it by affinity to the lobe-footed members of the 

 RalUdce, enable it to swim with great buoyancy and ease, but it 

 seldom voluntarily resorts to the water, except when wounded, 

 and endeavouring to escape its pursuer, or when feeding in pools 

 left by the tide, and passing from one stone or point of rock to 

 another. 



It sits three weeks. 



Genus Charadrius. Linn. 



Charadrius hiaticula. Linn. 1. 253. Lath. Ind. 2. 743. sp. 8. 

 Le Pluvier a, collier. Buff. ois. 8. p. 90. 



Ring Plover. Lath. Syn. 5. 201. Penn. Brit. Zool. p. 129. 

 Mont. &c. 



A few pairs breed upon the gravel beds which are met with in 

 the creeks and bays of the Islands. Like most of the Charadri- 

 ad(B, they lay four eggs of a cream colour blotched with black 

 or deep brown. 



Ordo. NlTATORtS. Illig. 



Fam. AjiATiDJE. Leach. 

 Genus. Somateria. Leach. 



Somateria mollissima. Leach. 



Anas mollissima. Linn. I. 198. Lath. Ind. 2. p. 845. sp. 35. 

 Oie a duvet ou Eider. BufF. ois. 9. 103. 



Eider or Cuthbert Duck. Lath. Syn. 6. 470. Penn. Brit. Zool. 

 152. 



These birds if protected would soon become very numerous, 

 and might be made a source of productive wealth, as they volun- 

 tarily afiFord in great abundance that fine and elastic down known 



