6846 Birds. 



species which will try to mislead you when searching for the eggs. 

 Unless you are really in want of them, I would recommend you to 

 leave them ; for of all our field and heath birds the lapwing is 

 one of the most useful in destroying destructive insects, such as 

 Zabrus gibbus, &c. 



Turnstone {Strepsilas inter pres). An occasional visitor, generally 

 in winter. For a curious anecdote of this species see the ' Zoologist' 

 for 1851, p. 3077. 



Sanderling {Calidris arenaria). A regular visitor, generally arriving 

 in August, a few of them remaining through the winter. 1 have met 

 with them, too, in summer, when their predominant colour, instead of 

 being whitish, was a most beautiful reddish fawn. On their first 

 arrival here they are very tame, allowing you to approach within 

 a yard or so. 



Oystercatcher {H(Bmatopiis ostralegus) . Why this bird is called 

 oystercatcher I cannot understand. Had it been named "limpet- 

 catcher" I could have understood it. I have crawled amongst the 

 rocks in order to see them feed, and have seen the limpet driven 

 from its hold, and scooped out of its shell with as much apparent 

 ease as I would have picked up a Gammaris locusta ; but I have 

 never seen it attempt to catch an oyster. On this part of the coast 

 its food generally consists of the limpet, and very rarely of Acmsea 

 testitudinalis. I have counted as many as forty-one of the former in 

 the stomach of a single bird, whilst of the latter I have not met with 

 more than three or four examples. The oystercatcher is a summer 

 visitor with us, arriving here to breed. Now and then it may be 

 seen during winter. Large flocks visit us some seasons, generally in 

 September, and after remaining for a day proceed further South. 

 " Sea piet " is the name the bird is known by here. 



Heron [Ardea cinerea). We have some small spots where these 

 birds breed, but which hardly deserve the name of heronries ; at one 

 time, however, they were in greater numbers. "Longlegged sandy" 

 and " craigie " are names given to them here. I remember taking 

 from the stomach of one a large water-rat, three middle-sized 

 trout, and fifteen minnows. Some lime ago a person belonging 

 to this town, whilst passing through one of the streets, was 

 startled at being hit on the head by something which had fallen 

 from above, and which proved to be a small fish, the five-bearded 

 rockling Matella quinquecirrata), apparently quite iresh. On 

 looking up he saw nothing but a "craigie" passing over the 

 houses, pursued by a number of crows. Of course the fish had 



