l82 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



continuous with the white on the inner web. The white band 

 on the throat is lost during the first winter, disappearing 

 sooner in the females than in the males. 



Nestling, — Clothed with down of a sandy-grey colour, not 

 much mottled with black, of which two lines run down each 

 side of the back, with a single narrow line down the rump to 

 the tail, and a lateral stripe along the lower flanks ; the head 

 has some irregular black stripes and patches ; throat dusky- 

 black ; remainder of under surface of body white, as also the 

 edge of the wing; thighs dusky-blackish. As the bird in- 

 creases in size the plumage becomes darker, and is strongly 

 barred with sandy-buff tips and edges to the feathers, but the 

 black dorsal patches are retained in full force for a long 

 time. 



Range in Great Britain. — The Oyster-catcher is resident with us 

 throughout the year, and breeds on our northern coasts and in 

 Scotland, where it ascends the rivers for some little distance 

 and nests on the rocky beds. It also nests in certain parts of 

 England as far south as the Scilly Islands. In Ireland Mr. 

 R. J. Ussher says that it breeds on the coasts and islands of 

 all the maritime counties, except, perhaps, Louth, Meath, Wick- 

 low, and Waterford. Mr. H. C. Hart states that he has found 

 it nesting on an island in Lough Erne. 



Range outside the British Islands. — The present species is found 

 throughout most of the coasts of Europe from the North Cape 

 to the Mediterranean, and as far east as the Valley of the Ob, 

 but it ascends several large rivers of the Continent, as it docs 

 the Petchora and the Ob, while it also breeds on the shores of 

 inland seas, such as the Black Sea and the Caspian. It is also 

 found nesting on the Adriatic and about the mouth of the 

 Rhone, but is principally known as a winter resident in the 

 countries of the Mediterranean, and it also extends in winter 

 down the Red Sea, and is said to have been met with in 

 Mozambique, on the east coast of Africa, and in Senegambia 

 on the west. 



Hahits. — The common names for the Oyster-catcher are "Sea 

 Pie " and " Olive," the latter being a favourite name with the 

 gunners in Pagham Harbour years ago. Large flocks are 

 ofttn seen in the autumn and winter, generally distributed 



