ILEMATOPES, Lin. StC. OYSTER-CATCHER.
Bill long, stout, compressed, tip much compressed and cuneated ; nostrils lateral, longitudinally cleft in the chan nel of the bill ; legs strong and muscular, with three toes before, that in the middle connected with the outer as far as the articulation by a membrane, and to the inner by the slight rudiments of one; wings middle-sized, the first quill largest.
H. Ostralegus, Lin. &c. Common Oyster Catcher, Pied Oyster Catcher, or Sea Pie. In the Hebrides, it is called 'firma and Trillichan; in Shetland, CI:alder ; and, in Orkney, Chaldric, Skeldrake, Skclderdrake, and Scolder. Upper parts of the body black, under parts, a band on the throat and wings, the rump and base of the tail white.
This species occurs not unfrequently along the sea coasts of Europe, on the basins of the Caspian, in some parts of North and South America, and in Senegal. In autumn they are very abundant on some parts of the coasts of Holland and Great Britain ; but, in winter, they mostly retire into the interior regions of the country, or to the south. They feed on marine insects, shell-fish, and mollusca, and derive their name from insinuating their bill into the open shells of oysters, and extracting the con tents. Their bill is so excellently contrived to procure their living, that, if they find a limpet but a little loosened from a rock, they bring it off in a moment ; or, if the shell-fish is on its guard, and more firmly fastened, they knock it off as dexterously as any fisherman who is accustomed to use it as bait. At the recess of the tide they have been known to rip up flounders, Re. that were caught up in
nets, and to pick out undigested shell-fish from their sto mach. They are very clamorous, especially when in flocks, or when alarmed. They are capable of swim ming, and will allow themselves to be tossed on the waves, but regain the land at pleasure. The female makes no nest, but lays four eggs, of the size of those of the lapwing, of an olivaceous brown, blotched with black, on the bare ground, or on the grass, above high water mark, and ar ranged in the form of a square, with the small ends in wards, so as to give the greatest security and warmth to each. The incubation lasts twenty or twenty-one days; and the females, during the sultry time of the day, fre quently abandon their eggs to the heat of the sun, leav ing them at nine or ten o'clock in the morning, and resum ing their sitting at three in the afternoon, unless it should happen to rain, when they continue on them. During this season the male is very watchful, and on the least alarm utters a loud scream, and flies off, as does also the female after running to some distance. The young arc at first covered with a brown-grey down, and drag their steps on the beach, hut are soon• enabled to run and con ceal themselves among tufts of grass, &c. so as not to be easily observed. The flesh of the mature birds is some what black, tough, and unsavoury, but that of the young is eatable ; and both it and the eggs are accounted deli cious by the inhabitants of the Faroe Isles.