THE OYSTER-CATCHER. 
129 
abundant there, were more frequently in groups tlian in pairs, 
tliongh it was the breeding season.’’^ On the north-east coast, 
also, this may frequently be observed. On some parts of the 
broad summits of the lofty precipitous cliffs at the peninsula of 
the Horn, in Donegal, these birds were in parties at the end of 
June 1832. In the same month of 1834 they were similarly 
associated on the sands of Clew Bay, county of Mayo. At this 
season they may likewise be observed scattered in pairs over the 
shore of the largest of the Copeland Islands (Down), where 
they breed, as well as about tlie islands of Strangford lough, 
where, however, a pair only will be seen occuppng some of the 
very small islets. When I visited this lough on the 20th and 
21st of June, 1832, three eggs were found on the bare gravel, 
about two yards above high-water mark on Skart Bnck. They 
were known to our boatmen as those of the oyster-catcher, as 
they had often found similar ones before. A pair of these birds, 
calling loudly, kept flying incessantly about us just out of sliot, 
when we were on and adjacent to the islet, thus affording circum- 
stantial evidence of the nest being theirs. The eggs, not agree- 
ing with what I had seen figured as the oyster-catcliers, were 
carefully kept : — on after-comparison with Mr. Yarrelks descrip- 
tion they were found to agree with it, being yellowish stone- 
colour, spotted with ash-grey, and dark brown.^^ In the same 
number of words they could not be better described ; but, con- 
sidering how they differ from other eggs found in similar situations, 
they may be described as displaying spots and variously-formed 
markings (some of which are linear) of ash-brown and dark 
grey disposed over the entire shell, though not numerously. 
I am thus particular, from the circumstance of the egg being 
very differently figured in works upon the subject. Montagu, 
too, describes it to be “ olivaceous brown, blotched with 
black : somewhat larger than that of the lapwing ; "" — neither 
colour nor size agreeing with mine, which are nearly twice 
the size of lapwings'* eggs. A person at Dunfanaghy, county 
of Donegal, who attended us in 1832 as guide to the bird- 
haunts about Horn Head, stated that he had robbed not less 
VOL. II. K 
