[16 CHARADRIID.E. 



On the wing this bird is very strong ; it beats the air in 

 the manner of ducks, and sails a short distance just before 

 alighting. The Oyster Catcher is a lively bird, and fond of 

 playing not only "with its own species, but also with sea- 

 gulls and terns, besides which it frequently fights for the pos- 

 session of a mate, a chosen breeding-place, or food ; attacking 

 under such circumstances much larger birds than itself, and 

 driving them from the ground. 



The present species is very shy and watchful, so that a 

 person can very rarely approach it within gun-shot ; it is at 

 the same time on very good terms with harmless persons, such 

 as shepherds ; it feeds morning, evening, and during the 

 night, and roofts most generally during the middle of the day, 

 standing on a stone, shelf of a rock, or bank, sometimes resting 

 on one leg and sometimes on both ; trees of all descriptions it 

 avoids for fear of being surprised, and consequently never 

 perches by any chance. 



It is a well-known fact that the Oyster Catcher is not only 

 a very hardy bird, but as tenacious of life as a cat, for when 

 one of them is brought to the ground by a gun-shot, which 

 lacerates its wing ever so much, it may most generally be 

 kept alive in confinement for a great length of time, and 

 the wound heals without much trouble. 



The sociability of the Oyster Catcher is equally remarka- 

 ble ; they are very rarely seen singly, and about their 

 breeding places they not only have their nests in numbers 

 close together, but intermixed with those of gulls, terns, 

 avocets, redshanks and divers other species. Besides their 

 sociability they may probably induce other birds to make 

 their company serviceable to themselves, for the Oyster 

 Catcher is the first of the party who notices not only the 

 approach of enemies, but who also attacks them and drives 

 them from the neighbourhood by means of blows with their 



