Essentially a marine species, the Oystercatcher is never found inland, but abounds along the Atlantic coast of the United States from Maine to Florida, where, in summer, small parties of two or three pairs may be seen together in any given locality, but more especially from New Jersey southward. On the shores of New England, according to Samuels, it is of rare occurrence during the breeding-season. It is, however, in the Bahamas, a group of islands situated but a short distance from our Floridan peninsula, and in the Greater Antilles, that we meet with them in great abundance, frequenting the beaches or small sand-bars, when exposed at low tide. Cory fouud them common enough on Andros Island in January, and quite unsuspicious; but in June, at Inagua, only a few were observed, and no eggs taken. But for all this the birds are known to breed in the Bahama Islands, as evidenced by the published observations of Dr. Bryant.

Appearing along our coast from the twentieth to the last of April, they manifest considerable timidity, and instantly take to flight when approached by man. Their vigilance is remarkable, and is seldom relaxed, not even while engaged in earnest pursuit of food. While walking along the shore in a dignified manner, with heads turned away, first this side and then that, they do not seem at all impressed with the business before them. But we must not delude ourselves with this idea. Like most of their brethren, when oppressed and persecuted by man, they have cultivated the habit of dividing their attention, and most admirably do they accomplish the difficult task. Do but watch their movements, in imagination, as the author unfolds to you what he has repeatedly observed. You station yourself upon the beach, out of gunshot reach, and await your opportunity. If you have been so fortunate as to select a well-known resort, and are in season, you may not have long to watch. But patience is sometimes necessary. If you have not this virtue, you must cultivate it. But we will suppose that you have hit upon an opportune moment,—the hour when the birds have returned from the bath, or from a long aerial excursion of pleasure, tired and hungry. Their voices are heard in the distance. Your attention is awakened. You look up, and dimly perceive the moving objects. A few seconds expire, and if you are acquainted with the species, the glittering white of their wings, which show conspicuously, and orange-red bills and feet, tell you at once they are the Oystercatchers. But keep perfectly still, or you might affright them. They see you—an apparently motionless mass of flesh and spirit—and little daunting, pass over your head, and settle some thirty paces away, which is just what you hoped for. Had you perceptibly stirred, you might have been denied the privilege which you now are supposed to enjoy. Do you perceive the stately, deliberate gait, the sideward glance, the statue-like repose? We know you do, and might have saved ourselves the question. But you must not grow impatient, but watch and wait with philosophic coolness for newer revelations. Convinced that nothing is to be feared from you, all heads are at once lowered, and the long, wedge-shaped bills thrust deep down into the moist, yielding sand in search of shell-fish. You repair to the spot, for your curiosity is on tip-toe, and find the ground thickly perforated with oblong holes, some two or three inches in depth. Further investigations will assure you that these holes are not made for any particular species of molluscs, but for other forms of life as well. Tired of the beach, these birds love to burrow in mud-bottomed inlets for the small crabs called fiddlers, which frequent such places. The immense numbers of these, together with mussels, solens, limpets, nereids and marine insects which they daily devour, afford them a dainty, splendid and luxurious living. Some writers assert that they visit the oyster beds for purposes of feeding, but this is probably a mistake, as they are strongly attached to scenes more contiguous to the ocean.

On the high, dry, and level sands, just beyond the limits of the summer tides, usually where hundreds of drifted shells lie scattered about, they lay their eggs towards the close of May. Their nest is merely a slight depression in the sand, sometimes made by the female, oftener the result of some casualty of Nature. Though humble the spot, and poorly provided with the comforts which render most homes endearing to their feathered occupants, it is, nevertheless, one about which cluster many tender feelings. As the female depends largely upon the heat of the sun and of the sand to hatch her eggs, she only sitting upon them during the night, and when the weather is exceedingly cold and rainy, it might be inferred that she was lacking in care and affection. But no. Let the nest be approached by an enemy, and the solicitude of the parents is at once apparent. The male flies off with a loud scream, while his partner, less demonstrative, runs for a short distance before taking to flight, her object being to throw the intruder off his guard, and thus save the nest from discovery. Such attachment as is shown by these birds for their home and its treasures is really surprising, and is scarcely exceeded by any of our smaller land birds that are accustomed to dwell in the cosiest and most elaborate of dwellings.

When the time arrives for the young to burst the checkered walls of their tiny prison houses, where, pent up for eighteen long, oppressive and weary days, they have been preparing themselves for an earthly career, the parents seem more restless, vigilant and solicitous. One or the other is constantly about. Their appearance is hailed with unfeigned delight. The mother is chiefly entrusted with their care, and, under her guidance, they are brought to maturity. If threatened with danger, at the sound of her voice they squat upon the sand, from which they are not easily distinguished; while the parents hover over and around the intruder, alighting betimes first on this side of him, and then on that, and, by the most distressing cries, endeavoring to arouse his sympathies. Sometimes they seek to lure him away by counterfeiting lameness. Their notes of remonstrance are a quick, loud and shrill whistle, and sound like the syllables 'wheep, 'wheep, 'wheo. Somewhat similar expressions are made use of while at rest, as well as upon the wing.

In about five weeks from the time of quitting the nest, the young cut themselves loose from the mother's guiding-strings, and fight their own battles with life. They do not wholly withdraw from their parents, but help to form the flocks we see migrating in the fall. A striking feature of this movement is the regularity with which it is performed. Like marshalled troops they hold together in lines, rise, descend and wheel about with wonderful precision, and effect other feats equally remarkable. However disturbed by the sportsman, they fill up the gaps which are wrought in their ranks, and pursue their course in the most perfect order. On the wing they move with considerable vigor and velocity. In running, swimming and diving they are equally expert, and by the last two methods, when wounded, are able to circumvent their enemies.

In their earliest stage the young are covered with down, of the color of sand, and have a brownish-black bar on the neck, back and rump. In their mature state, the head and neck are blackish, with tinge of brown or ashy, and the back ashy-brown. The eyelid, rump, lower parts from the breast, tips of greater wing-coverts, most of secondaries and basal part of tail feathers are white, while the rest of the tail, and the quills, are blackish. The legs are flesh-colored, and the bill and edges of eyelids red or orange. Their length runs from seventeen to eighteen inches, the wing being ten, tail four and a half, and bill three.

The eggs of this bird are three in number, ovoidal in shape, and are marked with numerous blackish-brown spots and blotches upon a creamy-drab background. Their dimensions vary from 2.31 to 2.13 inches in the long direction and from 1.63 to 1.49 in the short. But one setting is yearly laid. In the drawing they appear of natural size, but the birds are considerably reduced.

Original Size