424 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



FAMILY EUEMATOPODID.ZE. 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. 



ELEMATOPUS, LINN^US. 



Hamatopus, LINNAEUS, Syet. Nat. (1735). (Type H. Ostralegus, 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. 



HJEMATOPUS PALLIATUS. Temm. 

 The Oyster-catcher. 



Hcematqpus palliatus, Temm. Man., II. (1820) 632. Aud. Orn. Biog., III. 

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



Hamatopus ostralegus, Wilson. Am. Orn., VIII. (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 ashy-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. 



FT1HIS bird is of rare occurrence on the seacoast of New 

 _L 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 ; 



