i8o Allen's naturalist's library. 



hitter, and not unfrequently the single note is added, making 

 a treble note, kitter keet. In spring, during the breeding 

 season, it is said that these notes are often so rapidly uttered 

 that they form a trill. 



Nest. — A little hollow, lined with a few dead leaves, and 

 generally concealed behind a bush or under some broad leaf, 

 or a tuft of herbage. 



Eggs. — Four in number; ground-colour of a pale greenish- 

 grey to light clay-colour and olive-brown, the overlying spots 

 being of a chocolate-brown, in some cases generally distributed 

 over the egg, but in some clustered round the larger end. The 

 underlying spots are distinct, and of a purplish-grey. Axis, 

 I •5-1-7 inch; diam., 1-05-1 -2. 



THE OYSTER-CATCHERS. SUB-FAMILY 

 H^MATOPODIN^. 



Like the Turn-stones, the Oyster-catchers have no swelling 

 near the tips of the mandibles, in this respect differing from the 

 True Plovers. The bill is very much compressed and narrow, 

 the angle of the lower mandible being very strongly marked 

 and situated not far from the base of the bill, its distance from 

 the tip being double that from the base of the mandible. The 

 tarsus is reticulated both in front and behind. 



THE OYSTER-CATCIIERS. GENUS II^MATOPUS. 



Hicmatopiis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 257 (1766). 

 Type, H. ostralegns (Linn.). 



There is but one genus of these curious birds, with twelve 

 species. They are found nearly all over the world, and are 

 divided into two groups, the Pied Oyster-catchers and the 

 Black Oyster-catchers, the former being mostly northern while 

 the latter are southern birds, though H. niger reaches to North- 

 west America, and H. moquifii to the Canaries and Madeira. 



