NESTS AXD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 777 



of the blotches ;u-e confluent, others have a smudged appearance ; there 

 are also a few obsolete bluisli-gi'ey markings under the surface of the 

 shell. Dimensions in inches of proper clutches : 



A specimen from King Sound, North-west AustraUa, measures 

 2-26 X 1-57. (Plate 21.) 



Observations. — This handsome Oyster Catcher, in its garb of black 

 and white, may be seen in almost any portion of the Australian and 

 Tasniaaian coast, but is more abundant on the southem coast, and 

 especially on the islands in Ba.ss Strait. A southern tribe of aborigines 

 in Western AustraUa call tliis Oyster Catcher " Quick-ham," after the 

 call notes of the bird. 



During the expedition of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria to 

 King Island, the latter half of November, 1887, we enjoyed ample 

 oppoi-tunities of observing these interesting shore dwellers, which were 

 breeding at intervals all around the island. The White-breasted or 

 Pied Oyster Catcher we s the commoner of the two species of " Red 

 Bills." Sometimes a pair of birds betrayed their nest by uttering the 

 loud piping double note of alarm, which became more frequent and 

 solicitous in tone as we approached the locality of their home. At other 

 times we would observe a bird ninning away in a suspicious manner 

 from a particular spot. Picking up its footpiints in the loose sand and 

 following the track back invariably led us to the nest, whicli was merely 

 a slight circular hollow or depression on the summit of a- small sand 

 dune immediately above high-water mark. The eggs were diflicult 

 to detect on account of the similarity of the colouration of them to 

 the sand round about. Of ten or twelve nests we took, none contained 

 more than a pair of eggs. 



Dvu-ing an excvu-sion of tlie same club to the Fimieaux Group, 

 November, 1893, out of three nests observed of the Pied Oyster Catcher 

 only one contained a set of three eggs. This particular nest was situated 

 on Green Island, was near some herbage, and was lined with pieces of 

 broken shells and other debris. From Gould and Sir Walter Buller 

 we infer three is the usvial complement, while Mr. A. J. North 

 describes a set of three , taken by Mr. John Raansay at Cape Upstart, 

 Queensland. Nevertheless I tliink three eggs to the clutch is the 

 exception to the rale. 



Mr. Seebohm states that Oyster Catchers are not known to breed 

 within the tropics on the mainland, but only on islands. But it appears 

 we have an exception in the White-breasted Oyster Catcher, for I have 

 received eggs from King Sound (North-west Australia), nearly 600 miles 

 within the tropics ; and near the North-west Cape, Mr. Tom Carter, 

 a sound field naturalist, took on the 20tli of July several clutches, and 

 again, on the 17th of September, a single egg from the same locality. 



