324 OYSTER CATCHER. 



found the nest placed on the top of rocks standing 

 insulated in an estuary, and prohably from ten to 

 fifteen feet above the ground. When approached 

 at this season, the parent birds are very clamorous, 

 and fly around, or hover over the intruder. 



In distribution, the Oyster Catcher appears com- 

 mon throughout Europe, where the coasts are fitted 

 to its habits. It extends northward to Russia and 

 Siberia, and even to Kamtschatka.* It is probable, 

 that it may extend beyond the European boundary, 

 Temminck mentioning it among the birds of Japan ; 

 but extra European specimens have never come 

 under our examination. 



Specimens before us reach in length from sixteen 

 to nineteen inches ; the first, however, is a young 

 specimen of the year, in full plumage ; another, 

 seventeen inches, is, however, adult. The winter 

 plumage is noted to consist of a collar of white 

 beneath the throat ; but the specimens alluded to, 

 one killed in December, the other in July, are nearly 

 similar ; the feathers on the throat of'the first being 

 narrowly tipped with white. In these, the head, 

 neck, breast, upper parts of the back, shoulders, 

 scapulars, lesser wing-coverts, and tip of the tail, are 

 velvet-black ; on the back and mantle glossed with 

 green ; the lower part of the breast, and other under 

 parts, under eyelid, lower part of the back, upper 

 tail -coverts, base of the tail, greater wing-coverts, 

 and part of the inner webs of the quills, pure white ; 

 the bill and circle round the eyes, orange ; legs and 

 * Pennant. 



