138 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS.  [cwap. xvrr, 
that is offered to it. From its brilliant black and white plumage 
and red bill, as well as from its utility in destroying slugs and 
snails in the garden, where it searches for them with unceasing 
activity, it is both ornamental and useful, and worthy of being 
oftener kept for this purpose where a garden is surrounded by 
walls; it will, if taken young, remain with great contentment 
with poultry without being confined. I have found its nest in 
different localities, sometimes on the stones and sometimes on the 
sand close to high-water mark—very often on the small islands 
and points of land about the river, at a considerable distance 
from the sea; its favourite place here is on the carse land be- 
tween the two branches of the Findhorn near the sea, where it 
selects some little elevation of the ground just above the reach of 
the tide, but where at spring-tides the nest must be very often 
entirely surrounded by the water—I never knew either this or 
any bird make the mistake of building within reach of the high 
tides, though, from the great difference there is in the height of 
the spring-tides, one might suppose that the birds would be often 
led into such a scrape. 
Unlike most birds of similar kind, the sandpiper builds a sub- 
stantial, comfortable nest, in some tuft of grass near the river 
side, well concealed by the surrounding herbage, instead of 
leaving its eggs on the bare stones or sand. It is a lively little 
bird, and is always associated in my mind with summer and 
genial weather as it runs jerking along the water’s edge, looking 
for insects or flies, and uttering its clear pipe-like whistle. The 
young of the sandpiper are neatly and elegantly mottled, and are 
very difficult to be perceived. The eggs are brown and yellow, 
nearly the colour of the withered grass and leaves with which 
the bird forms its nest. 
Towards the end of March the curlew begins to leave the 
shore, taking to the higher hills, where it breeds, near the edge 
of some loch or marsh. During the season of breeding, this 
bird (though so shy and suspicious at all other times) flies boldly 
round the head of any passer by, with a loud, screaming whistle. 
The eggs are very large. When first hatched, the young have 
none of the length of bill which is so distinguishing a feature in 
the old bird. On the shore the curlews feed mostly on cockles 
and other shell-fish, which they extract from the sand with ease, 
