OYSTER-CATCHER. 20I 



The crown, crest, face, throat, and breast of the male 

 Lapwing in summer are black, the back and wings are metallic 

 green glossed with bronze and purple ; the sides of the neck 

 and under parts below the breast are white. A broad black 

 subterminal band crosses the white tail, and the upper and 

 under tail-coverts are bright chestnut. The bill is black, the 

 legs fleshy red, the irides dark brown. The female has a 

 shorter crest, and her wings, as pointed out by Mr. Frohawk, 

 are narrower and less rounded. In winter the throat is, usually, 

 white, and the upper parts show buff margins. The legs are 

 much darker, dull purplish red, a fact which seems to be 

 generally overlooked. The crest is shorter on the still buffer 

 young, and their chins and throats are white ; females will 

 breed before they have attained full black chins. The legs of 

 the nestling are pale flesh. Length, 12 ins. Wing, 875 ins. 

 Tarsus, i'6 ins. 



Sub-family H.^MATOPODIN^. 



Bill long, stout, and compressed ; toes united at base ; hind 

 toe absent. 



Oyster-catcher. Hcematoptis ostralegtis Linn. 



The Oyster-catcher (Plate 85) is resident in Europe and 

 central Asia, but a large number move southward in autumn ; 

 many reach the. British Isles, where there is also a south- 

 ward migration, but on most of our shores, whether rocky or 

 sandy, birds are present at all seasons. It nests freely on the 

 "Welsh and north-western coast, and in Scotland and Ireland, but 

 is thinly distributed on the east and south shores of England. 



The long, stout, and compressed orange bill, the fleshy legs, 

 and black and white plumage make the " Sea-pie " an easy bird 

 to recognise. At all seasons it is sociable, and little parties of 



