436 CHARADRIID.E. 



gives notice to the seals of the approach of the hunters, and 

 by that means frightens away the game. 



The Oyster-catcher inhabits all the coasts of the southern 

 parts of Europe, and M. Tcmminck includes it among the 

 Birds of Japan. 



The beak is three inches long, of a deep orange at the base, 

 lighter in colour towards the tip, greatly compressed, and 

 ending in a thin vertical edge ; the irides crimson ; the eye-lid 

 reddish orange, with a white spot below the eye ; the whole 

 of the head, the neck all round, the upper part of the breast, 

 scapulars, inter-scapulars, smaller wing-coverts, quill-feathers, 

 and the distal half of the tail-feathers, black ; the back, great 

 wing-coverts, part of the inner web of the primaries, upper 

 tail-coverts, the basal half of the tail-feathers, the lower part 

 of the breast, all the under surface of the body, under surface 

 of the wings, and the axillary plume, pure Avhite ; the greater 

 coverts forming a white bar on the wing; the legs and toes 

 purplish flesh colour ; the claws black. 



The whole length rather more than sixteen inches. From 

 the carpal joint to the end of the wing, nine inches and three 

 quarters : the first quill-feather about half an inch longer than 

 the second, and the longest in the wing. 



In the winter half year adult birds have a white gorget 

 round the front of the neck. I have known this mark as- 

 sumed early in September, and borne throvigh the winter, and 

 over a great portion of the spring. 



Young birds of the year have the feathers of the back and 

 Avings margined with brown, and they do not obtain a white 

 gorget during their first winter. 



