OYSTER. CATCHER. 
UMMA rOPUS OSTRA L ECUS. 
Tnis conspicuous nnil attractive bint is only an occasional visitor to any of tl.o southern or eastera counties 
of England with winch I am acquainted : on the Fern Islands, off the eoast of Northumherland, and 
throughout the Highlands it is a resident, breeding along the sea-shore as well as by inland wlters 
am remaining during the winter on the miidhanks of the saltwater firths or the rock-hound eoasts in 
he viemity of its summer-liaunts. On the extensive miissel-hanks of several of the firths in the Northern 
Iligldands these birds collect into immense flocks, thousands at times being observed in eomnanv The 
mudflats at the Little Ferry, near Golspie, in Sutherland, and the sands on each side of the Lhour 
mou h were most attractive feeding-grounds for this species; and here I have found them in far ' ’1; 
numiers than on any other part ot our coast-line. When unmolested they become excecdinolv conL' 
having invariably refrained from causing them unnecessary alarm, I often passed within a'^L yarit of 
.1 ranks when woiking up the channel through the flats towards fowl or to procure speeimens of anv 
pccies lequiiG . alarmed, their shrill cries at once arouse every flock within hearino- and all cl 
of success IS lost. Bein" of little use fm- ci.i;nn..-,r n t leariUg, and all chance 
for the accommodation of its expected hrolr“lT"tL^°k!riZX“ Ttf Pi-eparations 
water-side, and is not unfreqiiently deprived of its e^-s orLwlv'hau‘’rr T”) 
caused by storms among the hills. In manv narts orn Tr , , 
or oat-field, the female sitting plainly in vTew Ctil tl. : “ fi" 
■vniile travelling by the llio-hland railwav from T) i sufficiently to afford concealment, 
w atched severarhirl sitting of their etr;„ ‘,t ^ 
this glen in spring Oyster-Catchers werc°by no means so numerous ^ trough 
noticed near the station at Ballinluig. I have also seen the eo-o- 1 • ^ 
large detached blocks of rock that are found alon- flm i summit of some of the 
_ In Sussex and Kent I have heard tliiJ spedes sMeT^f wTlm Tl' '' Sutherland. 
Olive; in my opinion the Scotch name of Mussel-Peckc,. • f . Sea-Pie or the 
The hard and powerful beak of this ssiiif^ular bird enal 1 Oyster-Catcher, 
crush a mussel with ease. The brokrdmfls leatte^ t / ^ - to 
the strength of its beak; the succulent morsel inelo 1 ‘ '''''' evidence to 
be entirely beyond its reach. mipenetrable shell of the oyster must, however. 
