20 
IliEM ATGPUS OSTRALEGUS. 
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 care or 
affection. She watches the spot with an attachment, 
anxiety, 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 are with difficulty distinguished, 
while the parents make large circuits around the 
intruder, alighting sometimes on this hand, sometimes 
on that, littering repeated cries, and practising the 
common affectionate stratagem of counterfeited lame- 
ness, to allure him from their young. 
These birds run and fly with great vigour and velocity. 
Their note is a loud and shrill whistling wheep-wheep - 
wheo , smartly uttered. A flock will often rise, descend, 
and wheel in air with remarkable regularity, as if 
drilled to the business, the glittering white of their 
wings 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 
of the oyster-catcher, from a gentleman of Boston, an 
experienced sportsman, who, nevertheless was unac- 
quainted with this bird. He informed me, that two 
very old men to whom it was shewn called it a hag del. 
He 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 air 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 be 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 
evening approaches.” — General Synopsis, vol. iii, p. 220. 
