CHARADRIID^. 



Sub-Family H^EMATOPODIN^E. 



The eggs of the Oyster- catchers are usually of a regular oval form, 

 but at times they are somewhat sharply pointed. A few specimens 

 are elliptical. They possess a small amount of gloss and are all 

 handsomely marked. 



Genus H^IMATOPUS, Linn. 



Haematopus ostralegus, Linn. 



Haematopus ostralegus, Thien. Fortpflanz. ges. Voq. tab. Ivii. fig. 6, 

 a-f (1845-54); Baedeker, Eier Eur. Vog. tab. 5. fig. 1 (1855-63); 

 Hewitson, Eggs of Brit. B. ii. p. 305, pi. Ixxx. (1856) ; Seebohm $ 

 Harvie-Brown, Ibis, 1876, p. 290 ; Dresser, Birds Eur. vii. p. 567 

 (1877) ; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 987 (1880) ; Seebohm, Brit. Birds, 

 iii. p. 4, pi. 24 (1885) ; id. Geogr. Distr. Charadriida, p. 301 

 (1887); id. Eggs of Brit. Birds, p. 119, pi. 38. fig. 8 (1896); 

 Poynting, Eggs of Brit. Birds, p. 75, pi. 18 (1895-6) ; Sharpe, Cat. 

 Birds B. M. xxiv. p. 107 (1896) ; id. Hand-l i. p. 147 (1899). 



The eggs of the European Oyster-catcher are of a pale buff colour, 

 frequently tinged with rufous or olive. The markings consist of 

 spots, streaks and blotches of dark brown or black, and underlying 

 grey or pale purple. Occasionally they assume the shape of short 

 lines and scrawls. They are generally very evenly distributed over 

 the whole shell, but in some specimens they are coarser and more 

 numerous at the broad end than elsewhere, but they seldom form 

 a well-defined cap. Examples measure from 2-05 to 2*57 in length, 

 and from 1-5 to 1*72 in breadth. 



1. Faroe Islands (H. C. Milller: Hargitt Seebohm Coll. 



Coll.}. 



2. Faroe Islands (H. C. M. ; Hargitt Seebohm Coll. 



Coll.}. 



3. Faroe Islands, 15th May (H. C. M. : Seebohm Coll, 



Hargitt Coll.}. 

 3. Faroe Islands, 16th May (H. C. M. : Seebohm Coll. 



Hurgitt Coll.). 

 3. Faroe Islands, 22nd May (H. C. M. : Seebohm Coll. 



Hargitt Coll}. 



1. Shetland Islands (H. Seebohm}. Seebohm Coll. 



2. Unst, Shetland Islands (A. Newton}. Salvin-Godman Coll. 



3. Copinsha, Orkney Islands (Hargitt Seebohm Coll. 



Coll.}. 

 3. Loch Maddy, N. Uist, Hebrides, Seebohin Coll. 



6th June (E. V. Seebohm}. 



3. Loch Maddy, 6th June (E. V. S.}. Seebohm Coll. 

 2. Sutherlandshire, 4th June. Seebohm Coll. 



2. Island of Glencoul, Sutherland, Seebohm Coll. 



29th May (J. A. Harvie Brown: 



Hargitt Coll.}. 



2. Nairn, Moray Firth, June (H. Gunn: Seebohm Coll. 



Hargitt Coll.}. 



3. Whitebridge, Inverness, May Seebohm Coll. 



(.7. Richmond: Hargitt Coll}. 

 6. Cumberland (Hey sham). Gould Coll. 



