20 
H^MATOPUS OSTBALEGUS. 
The female sits on her eggs only during the night, 
or in remarkably cold and rainy weather ; at other 
times the heat of the sun and of the sand, which is 
sometimes great, renders incubation unnecessary. But 
although this is the case, she is not deficient in <;are or 
aifection. She M'atches the spot with an attachment, 
iiu.\iety, and perseverance, that are really surprising, 
till the time arrives when her little offspring hurst their 
prisons, and follow the guiding voice of their mother. 
When there is appearance of danger, they squat on the 
.sand, from which they arc with ditficnlty’di.stinguished, 
while the jyarents make large circuits around the 
intruder, alighting sometimes on this hand, sometimes 
on that, uttering repeated cries, and practising the 
common affectionate stratagem of counterfeited lame- 
ness, to allure him from their young. 
^ These birds run and fiy with great vigour and velocity. 
Their note is a loud and shrill whistling wJieep-ivheep- 
wheo, smartly uttered. A flock n ill often rise, descend, 
and wheel in air with remarkable regularitv, as if 
drilled to the business, the glittering white of their 
(rings at such times being very conspicuous. They are ' 
more remarkable for this on their first arrival in the 
spring. Some time ago, I received a stuffed specimen 
ol the oyster-catcher, from a gentleman of Boston, an 
experienced sportsman, who, nevertheless was unac- 
(|nainted with this bird. He informed me, that two 
very old men to whom it was shewn called it a Jiagdel. 
Ho adds, “ it was shot from a flock, which was first 
discovered on the beach near the entrance of Boston 
Harbour. On the approach of the gunner, they rose, 
and instantly formed in line, like a corps of troops, and 
advanced in perfect order, keeping well dressed. They 
made a number of circuits in the ,iir previous to being 
shot at, but wheeled in line; and the man who fired 
are easily brought up tame, if taken young. “ I have known them,” 
says he, “ to he thus kept for a long time, frequenting the ponds 
and ditches during the day, attending the ducks and other poultry 
to shelter of nights, and not unfrequently to come up of themselves 
as evening approaches.”— General Synopsis, vol. iii, p. 220. 
