Shore-bird Shooting 491 



some gently sloping beach just above high water. 

 One pair chooses an open spot on the bright 

 turf ; a second, some cranny among the drift of a 

 river bank ; while a third is contented to perform 

 the duties of incubation among the prosaic sur- 

 roundings of a potato field. Sometimes a simple 

 hollow suffices it as a nest ; often small pebbles or 

 bits of shell are placed in this, and occasionally it is 

 lined carefully with dry grass. But wherever the 

 nest may be and however made, it is guarded care- 

 fully by the birds, who fly screaming overhead if 

 any one comes near. In general the habits of this 

 bird are similar to those of the American oyster- 

 catcher. 



AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER 



(^Hamatopiis palliatiis) 



Adult male and female — Head and neck, Wack ; back, wings, and 

 tail, slate-brown ; rest of the plumage, including greater wing- 

 coverts, upper tail-coverts, sides of the rump, base of the tail, 

 and entire lower parts, white ; bill, vermilion ; eyelids, ver- 

 milion ; iris, bright yellow ; legs and feet, fleshy white. 



Young — Similar to adult, but upper tail-coverts tipped with buff; 

 bill, brownish ; iris, brown ; feet, gray. 



Downy young — Upper parts, light fulvous gray, finely mottled with 

 darker ; lines behind eye and stripes on back, black ; lower parts, 

 white. 



Measurements — The different individuals vary. Length, 17 to 21 

 inches; wing, 10.50 inches; culmen, 3.25 inches; tarsus, 2.25 

 inches; middle toe, 1.25 inches. 



Eggs — Three or four in number; cream color with irregular spots, 

 lines and markings of bistre ; measure 2.25 by 1.65 inches. 



Habitat — Ranges on the eastern coast of North and South America, 

 from New Jersey, casually New Brunswick, and given by Audubon 



