546 PIED OYSTER-CATCHER. 
The female sits on her eggs only during the night, or in remarka- 
bly cold and rainy weather ; at other times the heat of the sun and of 
the sand, which is sometimes great, renders incubation unnecessary. 
But although this is the case, she is not deficient in care or affection. 
She watches the spot with an attachment, anxiety, and perseverance, 
that are really surprising, till the time arrives when her little offspring 
burst their prisons, and follow the guiding voice of their mother. 
When there is appearance of danger, they squat on the sand, from 
which they are with difficulty distinguished, while the parents make 
large circuits around the intruder, alighting sometimes on this hand, 
sometimes on that, uttering repeated cries, and practising the common 
affectionate stratagem of counterfeited lameness, to allure him from 
their young. 7 
These birds run and fly with great vigor and velocity. Their note 
is a loud and. shrill whistling wheep-wheep-wheo, smartly uttered. . A 
flock will often rise, descend, and wheel in air with remarkable regu- 
larity, as if drilled to the business, the glittering white of their wings 
at such times being very conspicuous. They are more remarkable 
for this on their first arrival in the spring. Some time ago, I received 
a stuffed specimen of the Oyster-Catcher, from a gentleman of Boston, 
an experienced sportsman, who, nevertheless, was unacquainted with 
this bird. He informed me, that two very old men to whom it was 
shown, called it a Hagdel. He adds, “It was shot from a flock,which 
was first discovered on the beach near the entrance of Boston Harbor. 
On the approach of the gunner, they rose, and instantly formed in 
line, like a corps of troops, and advanced in perfect order, keeping 
well dressed. ‘They made a number of circuits in the air previous to 
being shot at, but wheeled in line; and the man who fired into the 
flock, observed that all their evolutions were like a regularly-organ- 
ized military company.” 
The Oyster-Catcher will not only take to the water when wounded, 
but can also swim and dive well, This fact I can assert from my 
own observation, the exploits of one of them in this way having nearly 
cost me my life. On the sea-beach of Cape May, not far from a deep 
and rapid inlet, I broke the wing of one of these birds, and being 
without a dog, instantly pursued it towards the inlet, which it made 
for with great rapidity. We both plunged in nearly at the same in- 
stant; but the bird eluded my grasp, and I sunk beyond my depth; it 
was not until this moment that I recollected having carried in my gun 
along with me. On rising to the surface, I found the bird had dived, 
and a strong ebb current was carrying me fast towards the.ocean, en- 
cumbered with a gun and all my shooting apparatus; I was compelled 
to reliriquish my bird, and to make for the shore, with considerable 
mortification, and the total destruction of the contents of my powder- 
horn. The wounded bird afterwards rosé and swam with great buoy- 
ancy out among the breakers. 
and though they are wild when in flocks, yet are easily brought up tame, if taken 
young. “Thave known them,” says he, “to be thus kept for a long time, fre- 
quenting the ponds and ditches during the day, attending the Ducks and other 
poultry to shelter of nights, and not unfrequently to come up of themselves as 
evening approaches.” — General Synopsis, vol. iii. p. 220. 
