424 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



Family HiEIMATOPODIDJE. The Oyster-catchers. 



Bill as long as the head, or twice as long, compressed; culmen but little 

 indented, and the bill not vaulted beyond the nostrils, which are quite basal. 



H-(EJLiTOPUS, LINN.EUS. 



ffcematopus, Linn^us, Syet. Nat (1735). (Type H. Ostralegm, L.) 

 Bill longer than the leg, twice as long as the head; mandibles much compressed, 

 sharp-edged, and truncate at end; hind toe wanting; legs reticulated, with five or 

 six elongated plates in a transverse series ; meshes larger anteriorly ; a basal mem- 

 brane between middle and outer toes; toes enlarged laterally by a thickened 

 membrane; tail even; first primary longest. 



ILEMATOPUS PALLIATUS.— Temm. 



The Oyster-catcher. 



HcBmatopus palUatus, Temm. Man., IL (1820) 532. Aud. Cm. Biog., HI. 

 (1835) 181; V. 580. lb., Birds Am., V. (1842) 236. 



Ecematopus ostralegus, Wilson. Am. Orn., VIIL (1814) 15. 



Description. ^ 



Bill long, straight, flattened vertically; wing long; tail short; legs moderate, 

 rather robust; toes margined; outer and middle united at base; head and neck 

 brownish-black, with a slight ashy tinge in very mature specimens; upper parts of 

 body light ashj'-brown, rather darker on the rump; upper tail coverts and wide 

 diagonal band across the wing white; quills brownish-black; tail feathers at base 

 white, with their terminating half brownish-black; under parts of body and under 

 wing coverts white; bill and edge of eyelids bright orange-red; legs pale-reddish; 

 iris bright-yellow. 



Total length, about seventeen and a half inches ; wing, ten ; tail, four and a half; 

 bill to gape, three and a half; tarsus, two and a quarter inches. 



THIS bird is of rare occurrence on the seacoast of New 

 England as a summer visitor. I am not aware that it 

 breeds here ; but it may, as it is said to be found all along 

 our coast from Maine to Florida. Wilson, in describing its 

 habits, says, — 



" The Oyster-catcher frequents the sandy sea-beach of New 

 Jersey, and other parts of our Atlantic coast, in summer, in small 

 parties of two or three pairs together. They are extremely shy ; 



