H^MATOPUS. 245 



Subfamily H/EMATOPODD^E, 



The four genera here brought together are not usually 

 associated, and it is doubtful whether they are really allied. 

 All are long-billed birds, aud all have the tarsus reticulated. All, 

 too, show a certain similarity of coloration, black and white or 

 grey. The eggs of Hctmatopug, Himantopus, aud Hecurvircstra 

 are very similar ; those of Ibidorhynclms are unknown. None has 

 a distinct summer plumage, thus differing from all the Totanina? 

 and most of the Charadriince. At the same time, it must be 

 remarked that the bill of the Oystercatcher differs considerably in 

 structure from that of the other three genera. 



Key to the Genera. 



a. Bill straight, no hind toe. 



a'. Bill compressed, stout, longer than tarsus. H2EMATOPU8, p. 245. 

 b'. Bill slender, much shorter than tarsus . . HIMANTOPUS, p. 240. 



b. Bill curved upwards ; a hind toe RECURVIROSTRA, p. 248. 



c. Bill curved downwards ; no hind toe IBIDORHYNCHUS, p. 249. 



Genus HJEMATOPUS, Linn., 1766. 



Bill long, compressed, straight, often truncated at the end ; 

 nostril linear, near the base of the bill, in a groove that extends 

 more than halfway to the tip. Wings long, pointed, first quill 

 longest ; tail moderate. Tarsus short, thick, reticulated through- 

 out; no hind toe; anterior toes thick, edged with membrane, 

 slightly webbed at the base, especially between the 3rd and 4th 

 toes ; soles broad. 



The Oystercatchers are a cosmopolitan genus of about a dozen 

 species, only one of which is Indian. 



1450. Haematopus ostralegus. The Sea-pie or Oystercatcher. 



Haematopus ostralegus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 257 (1766) ; Blyth, 



Cat. p. 264; Jerdon, 11. I. ii'i, p. 659; Hume, S. F. i, p. 234; 



Hayes Lloyd, Ibis, 1873, p. 416; Blyth, Birds Burm. p. 154; 



Butler, S. F. v, pp. 212, 232, 236 ; ix, p. 427 ; Hume, Cat. no. 862 ; 



Vidal, S. F. ix, p. 83 ; Legge, Birds Ccijl. p. 987 ; Gates, B. j?,ii, 



p. 377 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 339 ; Seebohm, Charadr. p. 301 ; 



Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 107. 

 Haematopus osculans, Swinh. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 405 ; Sharpe, Cat. 



B.M. xxiv, p. 111. 



Darya gojpaon, H. ; Yerri kali ulanka, Tel. 



Coloration. Head and neck all round, upper back, scapulars, 

 and tertiaries black ; lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and 

 lower parts from upper breast white ; edge of wing, terminal 

 portions of median coverts, the greater secondary coverts, and the 



