360 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



or in pairs on the south shore of Long Island between Raynor South and 

 Babylon. Our only definite records are as follows: 



New York harbor, N. Y. May 28, 1877. Robert Lawrence, X. O. C. Bui. 5: 117 



Pouquogue, L. I. Mar. 9, 1880. Dutcher, Auk, 10: 272 



Greenport, L. I. June 2, 1882. Dutcher, Auk, 3 : 439 



Long Island, Lawrence Collection 3 i 66. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 



Also a specimen in the collection of Long Island Historical Society, from Long Island 



The Oyster- catcher is more stricth' a maritime species than an}' other 

 of our shore birds and nearl}' rivals the Sickle-bill curlew in size, but is not 

 held in great esteem as a game bird. They frequent the bars and beaches, 

 feeding on marine insects, small crabs and bi\'alves which their knifelike 

 bill is admirabl}' fitted to open. 



Order GALLINAE 

 Gallinaceous birds 



This order (Galliformes, Sharpe's Hand-List) is well exemplified by 

 the common barnyard fowl. The bill is short, stout and convex, the tip 

 vaulted and obtuse, its texture homy throughout, the nasal fossae covered 

 by feathers or scales, the edges of the upper mandible overreaching the 

 lower, the ridge of the culmen high and dividing the frontal feathers. The 

 legs are stout and moderatel_\' long, feathered to the heel or farther in some 

 families, the tarsus scutellate or feathered, the front toes webbed at the 

 base, the hallux elevated and rather small excejit in guans or megapodes. 

 The wings are short, rounded, arched and strong. Cranium small. Body 

 heav}'. Plumage aftershafted. Fifth cubital present. Palate schizog- 

 nathous. Nasals holorhinal. Cervicals 16. Sternum deei^h' two-notched. 

 Furculum or "wishbone" with a hvpocleidium. Pectoral muscles three, 

 the second very large. Coeca long. Crop large. Gizzard very muscular. 

 Gall bladder present. Physiological nature praecocial and ptilopaedic. 

 Eggs numerous and large. Mating halnts polygamous. Feeding habits 

 chiefly teiTestrial and largely rasorial. Flesh mostly edible, and light- 

 colored in most of the families. This order includes the megapodes (28 spe- 

 cies) of Polynesia, etc.; the guans and curassows (59 species) of tropical 



