198 GRALLATORES. 1LEMATOPUS. 



species, and such as come nearest in structure to the Rasorial 

 Order, being more attached to the land, than those which 

 are more immediately connected with the other families of the 

 Grallatores. These latter live on the sea-coasts, or in places 

 immediately contiguous to water, obtaining their food in a 

 great measure from that element ; the others, on the contrary, 

 reside in the interior of the country, preferring open ground 

 and plains ; whilst some of them even inhabit the arid sands 

 of the desert. A great proportion of this family feed at 

 twilight, or during the night, and have the eyes large, which 

 is necessarily attended by a corresponding expansion of the 

 socket, giving the head a bulky appearance ; and this is a 

 characteristic feature with them. The number of eggs laid 

 by most of the genera is restricted to four -, as in the Scolopa- 

 cidte ; in (Edicnemus, however, it is confined to two, thus ex- 

 hibiting the connexion of this genus with the Bustards. 

 The flight of the Charadriadte is in general strong and ra- 

 pid ; the wings being long, and usually brought to a point. 

 Most of them are subject to the double moult, or that change 

 of plumage which immediately precedes the season of repro- 

 duction. 



GENUS H^EMATOPUS, LINN. OYSTER-CATCHER. 



GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill longer than the head, strait, strong, the point much 

 compressed and forming a wedge ; culmen of the anterior 

 part slightly convex. Upper mandible with a broad lateral 

 groove, extending to one-half the length of the bill. Man- 

 dibles nearly equal, and having their tips truncated. 



Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, pierced in the membrane of 

 the mandibular groove. 



Legs of mean length, naked for a short space above the 

 tar sal joint. Tarsus strong; feet three-toed; all the toes 



