116 



PRJECOCIAL GRALLA.TOKES — LDIICOL^. 



Haematopus niger. 



BLACK OYSTER CATCHER. 



Hcematopus nigcr, Pall. Zoog. Eosso-As. II. 1831, 131. — Baikd, Birds N. Am. 1858, 700; Cat. 



N. Am. B. 1859, no. 513. — CouKS, Key, 1872, 246 ; Check List, 1873, no. 405 ; 2d ed. 1882, no. 



597 — KiDGW. Norn. N. Am. B. 1882, no. 508. 

 Hcematopus Bachmani, Auii. Om. liiog. V. 1839, 245, pi. 427 ; Synop. 1839, 229 ; Birds Am. V. 1842, 



243, pi. 325. — Towx-s. Xarr. 1839, 348. 



Hab. Pacific coast of North America, as far south as Lower California ; breeding soiith to 

 Santa Cruz, Calii'ornia. Kurile Islands. 



Sp. Char. Adult: Head, neck, and jugiiluni Idack, with more or less of a plumheous cast; 

 rest of the plumage uniform l)la( kisli l)i(iwn. " Bill vermilion, fading to yellow on the worn parts 

 toward the end. Edges of eyelids vermilion ; iris yellow. Feet white, slightly tinged with flesh- 

 color ; claws yellowish, toward the end dusky" (Auddbon). 



Wing, 9.60-10.75; culmen, 2..50-2.95 ; greatest depth of bill (forward of nostril), .45-52 ; tar- 

 sus, 1.85-2.25 ; middle toe, 1.30-1.05. 



There is no very young specimen of H. niger in the collection ; Imt a very young example of 

 the southern form (var. ater) from Tierra del Fuego (Xo. 15484) is wlmlly dusky blackish, each 



feather, above and below, except on the head and neck, tipped M^ith a narrow bar of pale ochra- 

 ceous. This character of immaturity is indicated in several of the specimens of H. niger in the 

 collection by the presence of a few whitish narrow liars on the abdomen. One example, still 

 younger (No. 28009, Straits of Fuca), has some of the wing-coverts narrowly and indistinctly 

 tipped with ochraceous, and the bill is yellowish horn-color, except on the basal portion. 



This species, first made known as a Xorth American bird hy Townsend, was called 

 by Audvibon Bachman's Oyster Catcher. It had been ])reviously described by Pallas 

 as belonging to Northeastern Asia and the surrounding islands. j\[r. ToAvnsend men- 

 tions having found it abundant along the whole of our northwest coast, as Avell as 

 in Regent's Sound. The specimens mentioned by these authors were shot in June, 

 18.3(5. Other specimens have since been taken in Alaska, at San INIiguel Island, 

 Sitka, Kadiak, in California, and elsewhere. 



Mr. R. Browne (Ibis, 1868) states that this species, tliough not a common bird in 

 the southern portion of Vancouver Island, is quite abundant at the northern end, 

 and very })lentiful aboi;t Queen Charlotte Islands. In March, 1806, while rowing 

 along the narrow sounds among these islands, he often met with it. It was by no 



