7;6 



NESTS AND EGGS OF AVSTJiALlAN BIRDS. 



The migi-ation lasts about a month, but in oui- spring time (the 

 autumn of the north) it is not an imconimon thing to see a straggler or 

 two arrive in advance. They are supposed to be baixen or odd birds 

 which have been unable to mate, or birds whose nests, have been 

 destroyed too late in the season to allow a second nest to be made. 

 Having nothing else to do they give way to the migratoiy instinct, not 

 being checked by the parental one, and drift southward before the 

 main body. This prematm-e migration has its uses. When migi-ation 

 begins, the j'oung bii'ds are the first to move. They have inherited an 

 iiTesistible rmpulse to start, and are doubtless led off by the barren birds 

 and old bachelors. When the new birds have left (they appropriate 

 the first week), the second week generally marks the departure of the 

 males, most of the females setting oil during the third week, whilst the 

 fourth week is left to the cripples, which come straggling in as best 

 they may — birds which have lost a leg, or some of their toes, &c. 

 (While at Houtman's Abroliios I shot a Little Sandpiper / Liiiioiiite" 

 ruficdJIix) having only one leg and a stump.) In the return journey the 

 order is, slightly varied ; the adult males go off first, then follow the adult 

 females, who are followed by the young birds, and the cripples bring up 

 the rear. 



The length of the journey in some instances is marvellous. The 

 cUstance from the Arctic Circle to New Zealand is approximately eight 

 thousand miles. 



Sub-family — H.a;MATOPODiN.s; : Oyster Catchers. 



598. — H^MAToPus LONGiROSTRis, Vieillot. — (498) 

 PIED OYSTER CATCHER. 



I'igure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, ful., vol. vi., pi. 7. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxiv., p. 112. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs.—Q,m\\A: Birds of .Australia (iSjS), 

 also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 216 (1865); Potts: Tian-. .\o\v 

 Zealand Inst., vol. ii., p. 69 (1S70) ; Buller : Birds of New 

 Zealand (1873), also vol. ii., p. 17 (1888) ; North ; Aiisln. .Mus. 

 Cat., p. 299 (1889); Campbell: Proc. Austn. Assoc, vol. v., 

 p. 426 (1893 I ; also Victorian Naturalist, p. 1S3 {1804). 



Gcoi/nrpliiral Di^frihiition. — Coast of whole of Australia and Tas- 

 mania; also New Zealand, New Guinea and Moluccas. 



.Yc.s7.— Merely a slight circular depression (about six inches across by 

 one inch deep) in the sand or in dry river beds near the sea siiore. 



AVy.'/-<.— Clut<.-li, two. but in nnv cases three; iiulin.d lo an c^llipsein 

 siiapc; texture of shell strong; sui'face glo.ssy ; colour, pale stony-grey 

 moderately marked with well-defined roundish blotclies of umber" some 



