71 
legs are somewhat long in relation to the size of the bird^ and are of 
a purplish orange. It is to be questioned whether the bird actually 
f »rcys on oysters, but it is without doubt that both the mus5cl and 
impel form the staple of its food, while small crustaceans and shell- 
fish of other kinds also form part of its diet. In the Shetlands it is 
particularly numerous, and it is there known as the Shelder. On all 
the coast lines of these rocky islands it is to be found breeding, 
never in colonies, but often several pairs may be found comparatively 
near each other. The eggs are two or three in number, toe ground 
colour, clay, spotted, blotched aJid streaked with black, and with 
grey underlying shell m.nrkings, the eg^ has a slight gloss. This 
bird is often to be found in small parties in winter, and they arc very 
wary, usually sending out a loud piping whistle before the advance 
of the sportsman within gunshot, and so warning all neighbouring 
fow'i that danger is near. 
The nest of the Oyster-catcher consists of a slight depression on 
the ground, often in shingle, is shallow as though shajwl by the 
breast of the bird and is invariably lined with pieces of white shell. 
A notable feature of the nesting of this bird is that it makes several 
of these depressions before finally fixing upon one. These mock 
ne.sts are not lined like the final one, but are often the guide to the 
vicinity of the true nest. 
Pipit, Mi-adow. — The Meadow- Pipit, or Til- Lark is common and 
widely distributed over the whole of the British Isles. In appearance 
it resembles the Skylark, but is smaller in size and darker in colour. 
It is pre-eminently the small bird of the moorland, where it nests, 
carefully concealing its eggs within the shelter of a tussock of grass. 
The eggs, four or five in number, are of a dull bluish -white in ground- 
colour, but are so thickly besprinkled with spots and freckles of 
greyish-brown as to leave the gtound-colour barely visible. This is 
the bird in whose nest the cuckoo frequently places its egg ; and it is 
indeed an incongruous sight, that of the two lit-Larks feeding the 
young monster palmed off upon them, which, even before fully grown, 
IS in bulk much larger than both its foster-parents together. Ibis 
species is much preyed on by the Merlin, to whose dash, in the 
absence of cover on the moor, it falls a somewhat easy victim. While 
resident with us throughout the year, it descends during the winter 
months from the high moorland to lower-lying and less mho'^piiable 
parts. 
Plover, Ringed. — This bird, known also as the Ringed Sand 
Plover, and in some localities as the Sand Lark, is resident with us, 
and is widely distributed, breeding along the coast line in many 
localities, as also round the coasts of the Hcbiides, Orkneys, and 
Shetlands. It is an insect eater, and finds a plentiful supply of fo 'd, 
particularly in the summer months upon the insect life present on 
the beach. 
In colour the Ringed Plover is of a light brown on the upper parts, 
the forehead pure white, divided from the light brown at the back of 
the head by an intermediate band of black. There is b\so a band of 
black round the upper part of the breast, while the under parts of 
the bird are white ; the tail and legs are orange, and the whole 
appearance of the bird assimilates in a wonderful decree with us 
usual surroundings. The length of the Ringed I^over is 7 inches. 
During the breeding sea.son in particular, the Sand Lark haunts 
those parts of the beach rich with yellow' sand and covered with 
shingle, and were the bird to remain quiet it would be well nigh 
impossible for the human eye to discover it, but it greets the 
intruder with a low, piping whistle, and trips along with hurried 
