OYSTEE-CATCHEK 247 



the white about the head and neck becomes mottled with a 

 similar colour; throat, whitish. 



Immature, male and female. Feathers of the head, 

 neck, back, scapulars, and wings, brownish, with sandy-buff 

 edgings ; throat, white ; neck-collar and upper breast, very 

 dark brown; lower breast and abdomen, white. 



BEAK. Blackish, slightly blunted at the end, and with 

 a gentle upward curve. 



FEET. Deep orange. 



IBIDES. Blackish-brown. 



AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 



TOTAL LENGTH ... 9 in. Female a little larger. 



WING 6 



BEAK . . 1 ,, 



TARSO-METATARSUS 1 ,. 



EGG 1-6 X 1-1 in. 



REFERENCE TO PLATE XVII. 



TURNSTONES. 



A. Adult male in transitional nuptial to winter-plumage. 



B. E, F and G. Immature birds in autumn-plumage. 



C. Adult female in nuptial plumage. 



D. Adult male in nuptial plumage. 



OYSTER-CATCHER. Hamatopus ostralegus (Linnaeus). 



Coloured Figures. Gould, 'Birds of Great Britain,' vol. iv, 

 pi. 45; Dresser, 'Birds of Europe/ vol. vii, pi. 533; 

 Lilford, ' Coloured Figures,' vol. v, pi. 18. 



This familiar bird (also called Sea-Pie because of its pied 

 plumage) frequents the sandy as well as the rocky portions 

 of our coasts. Small detachments of immature birds 1 , to- 

 gether with those adults which remain to breed, may be 



1 In Belfast Lough, the late Sir R. Lloyd Patterson has counted 

 eighty to one hundred Oyster- catchers in June and July. I have seen 

 as many on the shores of Dublin Bay, but these flocks are very small in 

 proportion to the thousands which assemble in autumn and winter. 



