•20(1 



CIlAliADKIlb.t:. 



Family CHARADRIIDu^. 

 Sub-family H^MATOPODIN^. 



Haematopus longirostris. 



\v H I T ]•; - 1; i; lo a y 'r lo d n v y t i: k - c a t c ' i i k k . 



IIiniKitDjiHs hiwjiroatris, Vieill., Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., 'roiii. X\'., p. 410 (1S17); Gould, I'.il.s. 

 Austr., fol. Vol. VI., pi. 7(1.S48); id., llaiidbk. Hd.s. Au.str., Vol. 11., p. 215 (18(i5) ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. l!d.s. Brit. Mu.s., Vol. .KXIV., p. 112 (IS'.IG;; id.., Haiid-1. Bds., Vol. I ., p. 

 147 (1899). 



AlX'LT M;\LI':. — Eiit.ir>' hi'.ad, neck, ii/i/irr pa.r/ of llie c/ii'sf niid iippi'r liivk hla.-.k irilli a alnj/i/ 

 greenisli yloas, ivhich ;.< )u<irr coiisjiiciidu.-i mi //(•■ lut/fr ; Itiiiyr bai'k, riinip and dipper tailcorerts 

 while; iriiiy:< black, llir ynnler iippi'f iriiiij-covcrls bliir.k lanp'ly tipprd icitli ichife ; basi's iif 

 tlie outer neconda.rirs, and a narron' inari/iii iilony ihe. ihiIpv ii-pI), irhifi'. : lail-li'<(tlurf; black irilh irbi/c 

 basen, ivhich iiicrcasn in atenl nn the latcnd. fi'alji/'.r.t ; hrra.sf., alidainiit and iindfr lail-corer/.s irhile: a 

 few feathers uii (he thiyh.'i blackish-yrei/ ; "bill orange red, aliy/tlli/ paler at the lip ,• ley.'i and feet 

 reddi^h-pittk, iia.il s yellouiislidiorii colour : eyelids oraiKje ; iris oratiye-red" (Holden). Total letiylh 

 IT'D Indies, tviny ll'-'i, tail .'p.'i, bill S'L'i, tarsus J ..'■'>. 



Adult fkm.^lk. — Similar in jilmnitye lo the male. 



Diitiihiilion. — North-western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, 

 Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Islands of Bass Strait, Tasmania. 



fN most suitable situations the White-breasted Oyster-Catcher is distributed at intervals aloni; 

 the whole coast line of .•\ustralia; it is alscj found on the larger islands of Bass Strait, and 



the shores of Tasmania. Usually these birds are met with in small flocks, or in pairs, feeding 



at low tide on the unfrequented 

 portions of our sea-beaches, especi- 

 ally those contiguous to bluff 

 headlands and rocky promontories. 

 They are shy and wary, can swim 

 well, and when wounded will even 

 resort to diving as a means of escape. 

 I know of no species in which the 

 natural colour of the legs and feet 

 of skins is retained so long as those 

 of the White-breasted Oyster- 

 Catcher. There are specimens of 

 both this species and its congener 

 (Hinnalopus nnicolor) in the Austra- 

 lian iMuseum Collection, procured 

 by the late Mr. George Masters at 



Port Lincoln, South Australia, in October, 1867, that are almost as bright now as when they 



were collected. The late Mr. J. .\. Thorpe also obtained a fine series of //. longirostris, together 



with their eggs, at Fraser Island, Wide Bay, Oueensland. 



The food of the White-breasted Oyster-Catcher is usually obtained at low tide, among the 

 seaweed-covered rocks, and on the sandy beaches, and consists of prawns, sand-worms, 



WHITE-BREASTED OYSTER CATCHER. 



