OYSTER-CATCHER. 497 



ends truncated. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, pierced in the membrane of the 

 mundibular groove. Legs of moderate length, naked for a short space above the 

 Uirsal joint ; tarsi strong. Feet with three toes only, all directed forward, united 

 at their base by a membrane ; claws strong, broad, not very much pointed. 



THE OYSTER-CATCHER is well known on the shores of our 

 coast, and is also common and indigenous to Ireland ; it 

 appears to prefer sandy bays and wide inlets bounded with 

 banks of shingle, as favourable localities for the production 

 of the various mollusca upon which it principally subsists ; 

 the vertical edge of its truncated, wedge-like beak, seems 

 admirably adapted /or insertion between the two portions 

 of a bivalve shell : and this bird is said to be able to detach 

 limpets from the surface of a rock with ease and certainty. 

 Its food appears to be the mollusca generally, worms, and 

 marine insects. As observed by Mr. Selby, the Oyster- 

 catcher is a handsome bird, when seen on the wing, from 

 the well-marked contrast, and the purity of the black and 

 white colours of its plumage ; it runs with rapidity and 

 can swim and dive with ease ; may frequently be observed 

 to swim short distances when searching for its food, but 

 seldom dives unless to avoid or escape from an enemy. It 

 deposits its eggs, usually four in number, on the bare 

 ground on a shingly beach above high water- mark ; the 

 eggs are of a yellowish stone colour, spotted with ash grey 

 and dark brown ; two inches two lines in length, by one 

 inch six lines in breadth. The female sits about three 

 weeks, during which the male keeps watch, and becomes 

 clamorous on the approach of an enemy ; his mate attends 

 to the signal, leaves her nest in silence, and after a circuit- 

 ous flight, joins him in his endeavours to scold or decoy 

 away the intruder. The young, when hatched, are covered 

 with a greyish brown down. 



Montagu was certainly mistaken in supposing that the 



VOL. II. K K 



