AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 29 



acquaintance with this species in its breeding-localities 

 was originally formed on Annet, one of the unin- 

 habited islets of the Scilly group, low and sandy, 

 with shingly shores, the chief vegetation consisting 

 of short grass, sea-pinks, and clumps of the common 

 bracken, here we found about a dozen pairs of old 

 birds, several young unable to fly, and a few hard-set 

 eggs, laid without a nest of any sort, in some instances 

 on the shell-strew^n sand just above high-water mark, 

 and in others on the bare turf. The eggs, generally 

 three in number, are of a creamy stone-colour, streaked 

 and spotted with very dark brown and grey, but vary 

 considerably, and I have seen specimens that might 

 easily be mistaken, from their colour and markings, 

 for those of the Stone-Curlew. The old birds are 

 exceedingly clamorous when their breeding-haunts 

 are invaded, and fly around screaming and whistling, 

 with their wings quivering rapidly. They will also 

 occasionally feign lameness, in the same manner as 

 the Peewit, to draw attention away from their young. 

 In the autumn and winter these birds collect in large 

 flocks and haunt the sea-coasts, apparently preferring 

 localities which present a mixture of sand, rocks, 

 and mud. At high water in such spots the Oyster- 

 catchers generally congregate on a projecting reef of 

 rocks or a sand-spit, and are, as a rule, very wary and 

 difficult of approach, starting off" with loud whistling 

 cries, they usually fly out to sea for some distance 

 and make in for the next favourite resting-place. 

 By lying up amongst the rocks and having the birds 

 driven, I have obtained as many specimens as I 

 desired, but I never tried to make any havoc in their 

 ranks, as although a young Oyster-catcher is tolerably 

 palatable, the old ones are exceedingly coarse, tough, 



