PIED OYSTER-CATCHER. 1.33 



reaching when closed nearly to the tip of the latter. The 

 bill is about twice the length of the head, slightly bent 

 upwards, rather stout, compressed, being of greater height 

 than breadth in its whole length, much narrowed toward 

 the tip, which is abrupt, and somewhat wedge-shaped. Both 

 mandibles are grooved for more than a third of their length, 

 at first gradually narrowed, when viewed laterally, toward 

 the middle enlarging considerably, and then gently con- 

 tracting ; the edges sharp, but strong ; and the gape-line, 

 which commences far before the eyes, very slightly re- 

 arcuate. 



The mouth is very narrow ; its roof nearly fiat ; the 

 tongue short, eight-and-a-half-twelfths long, triangular, emar- 

 ginate and papillate at the base, thin, fleshy, tapering to a 

 blunt point. The oesophagus seven inches long, at first 

 eight-twelfths in width, but enlarging to an inch and a half, 

 then narrowed half-an-inch. The proventriculus oblong, an 

 inch and a twelfth in breadth, with simple oblong glandules. 

 The stomach, an inch and ten-twelfths in length, and an inch 

 and a half in breadth, has the lateral muscles rather large 

 and distinct, the epithelium rather thin, dense, elevated on 

 its inner surface into rugae, which are longitudinal, and at 

 the upper and lower parts curiously puckered. The intes- 

 tine is four feet three inches long, slender, nearly uniform in 

 diameter, its width being three-twelfths and a half. At the 

 distance of three inches and a half from its extremity come 

 off the coeca, which are three inches and a twelfth in length, 

 cylindrical, two-twelfths and a half in breadth. The rectum, 

 not much wider than the intestine, enlarges into a globular 

 cloaca. 



The nostrils are sub-basal, linear, four-and-a-half-twelfths 

 long. The eye four-twelfths in breadth. The aperture of 

 the ear nearly of the same size. The tibia is bare for nine- 

 twelfths ; the tarsus rather short, stout, and covered with 

 hexagonal scales ; the toes three, rather short, broadly mar- 

 ginate, flat beneath ; the inner with twelve, the middle toe 

 with twenty-two, the outer with only eight scutella. The 

 claws are small, little curved, rather depressed, and obtuse. 



The plumage is glossy ; blended on the head, hind neck, 



