Zoo Notes 
white, set off by a red bill 
and flesh-coloured feet. The 
species, known scientifically 
as Hematopus ostralegus, 
ranges all across the Old 
World, and, in several 
European languages besides 
our own, has received a 
name implying that oysters 
form its ordinary food. Yet 
it can rarely have a chance 
of feeding on these, although 
shellfish do form a large 
part of its diet and its hard 
chisel- tipped bill is well 
adapted for prizing them 
open. Other English names 
for it are “Sea-pie” and 
“Olive.” Oyster-catchers do 
well in captivity, and two 
are at the time of writing 
exhibited in the Canal Bank 
Aviary, where they recently distinguished 
themselves by repeatedly pulling out the plug 
of the little pond and draining it dry, so that 
a heavy stone had to be placed on it to protect 
it against their investigations. One or other 
species of these birds is found almost every- 
where on the sea-coast. The one inhabiting 
New Zealand, and there 
called the Red-bill, is much 
persecuted by gulls, which 
follow the industrious bird 
as he hunts for crabs with 
his long bill and annex the 
unearthed crustaceans for 
themselves. After this the 
gulls can hardly complain 
of the piracies to which 
they themselves are sub- 
jected by their own relatives 
the Skuas! The fact is 
that lapses from honesty are 
grievously frequent among 
birds, for with them oppor- 
tunity all too often makes 
the thief. In England the 
common Laughing or Black- 
headed Gull (Larus vridi- 
bunds) frequently robs the 
Lapwing, and in India the Photos by) 
COMMON SHELDRAKE. 
present writer has seen even a Kingfisher 
practise piracy. The species was the White- 
breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis), a 
bird feeding much on land animals and not 
very expert at catching fish; his victim was a 
Dabchick, but he was apparently not often 
successful in robbing this clever little diver. 
BS 
[W. P. Dando, F.Z.8. 
OYSTER-CATCHER. 
