. An illustrated manual of British birds . ertain district, but on flat shores considerable numbers may befound associated, and their noise is perfectly deafening when theyoung are just hatched, the old birds flying close round the headof an intruder, except where they have been much disturbed. Atother times the Oyster-catcher is remarkably wary, and alarms everyother bird in the neighbourhood with its shrill keep, keep. It swimswell and sometimes takes to the water of its own accord. Mussels,whelks, and limpets are neatly scooped from their shells by thebirds powerful bill ; annelids, crustac
. An illustrated manual of British birds . ertain district, but on flat shores considerable numbers may befound associated, and their noise is perfectly deafening when theyoung are just hatched, the old birds flying close round the headof an intruder, except where they have been much disturbed. Atother times the Oyster-catcher is remarkably wary, and alarms everyother bird in the neighbourhood with its shrill keep, keep. It swimswell and sometimes takes to the water of its own accord. Mussels,whelks, and limpets are neatly scooped from their shells by thebirds powerful bill ; annelids, crustaceans, small fish and marineplants being also eaten. The arrangement of the black-and-white plumage of the adult isshown in the engraving ; bill orange-yellow; irides crimson ; legsand toes livid flesh-colour. Whole length 16-5 in.; wing 975 autumn to spring the front and sides of the neck are white,and the bill is horn-coloured tov/ards the tip. The young have thefeathers of the back and wings margined with brown. 545. .V - .-^/nr^<^~ THE AVOCET. ReCURVIROSTRA AVOCETTA, Liiinaius. This remarkable bird was formerly a regular summer-visitor to ourshores, breeding in considerable numbers in such suitable localitiesas the coast and estuaries of the Humber district, Lincolnshire, Nor-folk and Suffolk. Reclamation of fen-land gradually circumscribedits haunts; a large colony at Salthouse was destroyed, as Mr. J. was informed, in consequence of the demand (especiallyfrom Newcastle) for Avocets feathers for dressing artificial flies ;and egg-collectors also contributed to the decrease of the species,which by 1824 had probably ceased to nest in England. Small flocksstill arrive in May, and occasionally in autumn, but the formerare never allowed to breed, for the amasser of British-killed speci-mens offers to the local gunners inducements which far exceed theamount of any fine and costs that would be imposed, even in theproblematical event of the offender
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidillustra, booksubjectbirds
