OllAI.LATORES. 317 



Sp. 499. HiEMATOPUS EULIGINOSUS, Gould. 



Sooty Oyster-catcher. 



Mur-roo-wa-da-ree, Aborigines of Port Essington. 

 Black Red-hill, Colonists of Western Australia. 



Black Oyster-catcher, Colonists of New South Wales, Tasmania, and 

 Port Essinerton. 



Haematopus faliginosus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi. 

 pi. 8. 



After a careful examination and comparison of the Black 

 Oyster-catchers of the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Horn, and 

 Australia, I find them to differ so much from each other, 

 that I can come to no other conclusion than that they are so 

 many distinct species, and hence I have been induced to 

 characterize the Australian bird under the appellation of H. 

 faliginosus, from the sooty colour of its plumage. 



Tasmania, the islands in Bass's Straits, and the southern 

 coast of the Australian continent generally are the princi- 

 pal resorts of this species. Like its near ally, it is equally 

 abundant wherever situations occur suited to its habits and 

 economy, low sandy beaches at the mouths of rivers, spits of 

 land running into the sea and small islands being its favour- 

 ite places of abode ; and so universally is it dispersed, that, 

 as I have stated with regard to the //. longirostris, it is quite 

 unnecessary to point out particular localities where it may be 

 found ; in fact, every small island and every mile of the coasts 

 of the countries I have mentioned are more or less visited by 

 it. It is a strictly stationary species, breeding in the places 

 of its usual resort ; or if any change in this respect takes 

 place, it is that, for the sake of safety and freedom from in- 

 trusion, the bird leaves the main shore and betakes itself to 

 small rocky islands, such as those in Bass's Straits, where, 

 exempt from annoyance of every kind, it may rear its brood 

 in safety. 



The present species is a stout-built and powerful bird. 



