128 charaduiidjE. 



mussels, and a day or two afterwards eat of porridge, the first time 

 this was offered. On such vegetable and animal diet this oyster- 

 catcher was fed for three weeks after capture, when these notes 

 were made : the shells of the mussels were opened for it. The 

 bird was quite tame from the day of its being received. 



Aug. 1, 1849. From the period last named until now, this 

 bird has been in the possession of Dr. J. D. Marshall, who con- 

 siders it a most interesting pet. It runs eagerly to him to pick 

 the animals from the shells of mussels held (very slightly open) 

 in his hand, and cleans them out with great rapidity. Lest any 

 fragments should remain in the shells thrown aside, after its being 

 thus fed, it goes rapidly over them again. The servant having 

 partially boiled some full-grown buckies (Buccinum undatum) for 

 it one day, endeavoured for a long time, with the aid of a fork, to 

 extract the animals ; but had to give up the attempt. The shells 

 containing them were then flung to the bird, which on the instant 

 withdrew the animals from their habitations, and ate them. It is 

 comical to see this bird, when hungry, quickly turning over, either 

 partially or wholly, any objects in the yard, as plates, &c. in search 

 of food beneath them. Its bill, too, is thrust, full-length, into 

 any crevice of the ground, chink, &c, causing the head at the 

 base of the bill to be generally covered with earth. It ate freely 

 and without hesitation of various kinds of food, the first time they 

 were offered, including flesh-meat and bread. 



This bird had the freedom of its master's house, and was very 

 partial to ascending the stairs to the uppermost rooms, some- 

 times remaining quietly stationed for hours looking out of the 

 windows, generally of the highest or fourth story. It remained 

 much perched on one foot. When thus in the house, its master 

 had only to call the bird as he ascended the stairs, and it came 

 running to him from wherever it was stationed. Once, early in 

 its captivity, this bird escaped from a window on the third story, 

 and flew to near the end of a long street, when the injured wing 

 compelled a descent to the ground, and it was again caught. 



Colonel Sabine remarked, at Ballybunian, on the coast of Kerry, 

 in the month of July 1833, that " oyster-catchers, which were 



