PIED OYSTER-CATCHER. 21 
into the flock, observed that all their evolutions were 
like a regularly organized military company.” 
The oyster-catcher will not only take to the water 
when wounded, but can also swim and dive well. This 
fact I can assert from my own observation, the exploits 
of one of them in this way having nearly cost me my 
life. On the sea beach of Cape May, not far from a 
deep and rapid inlet, I broke the wing of one of these 
birds, and being without a dog, instantly pursued it 
towards the inlet, which it made for with great rapidity. 
We both plunged in nearly at the same instant ; but the 
bird eluded my grasp, and I sunk beyond my depth ; it 
was not until this moment that I recollected having 
carried in my gun along with me. On rising to the 
surface, I found the bird had dived, and a strong ebb 
current was carrying me fast towards the ocean, 
encumbered with a gun and all my shooting apparatus ; 
I was compelled to relinquish my bird, and to make for 
the shore, with considerable mortification, and the total 
destruction of the contents of my powder horn. The 
wounded bird afterwards rose, and swam with great 
buoyancy out among the breakers. 
The same da y, I shot and examined three individuals 
of. this species, two of which measured each eighteen 
inches in length, and thirty-five inches in extent ; the 
other was somewhat less. The bills varied in length, 
measuring three inches and three quarters, three and a 
half, and three and a quarter, thinly compressed at the 
point, very much like that of the woodpecker tribe, but 
remarkably narrowed near the base where the nostrils 
are placed, probably that it may work with more freedom 
in the sand. This instrument for two-thirds of its 
length towards the point, was evidently much worn by 
digging; its colour, a rich orange scarlet, somewhat 
yellowish near the tip ; eye, large, orbits, of the same 
bright scarlet as the bill, irides, brilliant yellow, pupil, 
small, bluish black ; under the eye, is a small spot of 
white, and a large bed of the same on the wing- 
coverts ; head, neck, scapulars, rump, wing-quiils, and 
tail, black ; several of the primaries are marked on the 
