110 THE PIED 0-£ STER-C ATCHKK. 



shore, with considerable mortification, and the total dcstmo 

 tion of the contents of my powderhorn. The wounded bird 

 afterwards rose, and swam with great buoyancy out among 

 the breakers. 



On the same day, I shot and examined three individuals 

 of this species, two of which measured each eighteen inchecfl 

 in length, and thirty-five inches in extent ; the other was 

 somewhat less. The bills varied in length, measuring three 

 inches and three quarters, three and a half, and three and 

 a quarter, thinly compressed at the point, very much like 

 that of the woodpecker tribe, but remarkably narrowed 

 near the base where the nostrils are placed, probably that 

 it may work with more freedom in the sand. This instru- 

 ment, for two-thirds of its length towards the point, was 

 evidently much worn by digging ; its colour, a rich orange- 

 scarlet, somewhat yellowish near the tip ; eye, large ; orbits, 

 of the same bright scarlet as the bill; irides, brilliant 

 yellow; pupil, small, bluish black; under the eye is a 

 small spot of white, and a large bed of the same on the 

 wing-coverts ; head, neck, scapulars, rump, wing-quills, and 

 tail, black ; several of the primaries are marked on the outer 

 Tan(s with a slanting band of white; secondaries, white, 

 pan of them tipped with black ; the whole lower parts of 

 the body, sides of the rump, tail-coverts, and that portion 

 of the tail which they cover, are pure white ; the wings, 

 when shut, cover the whole white plumage of the back and 

 romp ; legs and naked part of the thighsy pale red 5 f&e^ 



