HiEMATOPODIDiE - THE OYSTER CATCHERS — ILEMATOPUS. 



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The changes of plumage with age are thus described by Macgillivray : "After the first moult 

 the bhick parts of the jilumage are tinged with brown, more espi'iially the ((uills and tail. There 

 is an obscure half-ring of grayish-wliite across the fore part of the neck, the tips of the white 

 feathers being black. The legs are pale livid gray, the claws brown, whitish at the base ; the 

 iris crimson ; and the bill a.s in the adult, but a little more dusky toward the end. It ai)peai'3 to 

 me that the younger birds only have the white marks on the neck, and that these gradually 

 ilisapiiear eadi successive moult, until in very old birds there exist only faint indications of 

 liiiMii, tlie feathers being merely whitish at the base. The chin, which is slightly mottled with 

 white in the young birds, becomes at length pure black." 



The National Museum possesses but a single European specimen of this species, an adult male 

 I'rom Poinerania. Besides this, however, there are two examples (an adult male and fenuUe) from 

 Xing Po, China, and one from Xew Zealand. Xone of these possess the slightest trace of the 

 white markings described by Macgillivray, the entire neck being glossy black. 



Tiie Pied Oyster Catcher from New Zealand and that from China have both been separated from 

 //. ostmlcgus, the former as //. longirostris, Vieili.ot, the latter as //. osculans, Swinhoe. With 

 the specimens before us, however, we are unable to appreciate any difl'erences beyond slight ones 

 of proportions, the measurements being as follows : — 



The difl'erences of measurements indicated above are not so great as have been found in a 

 larger series of H. palliatiis, and we are unable to discover any differences of plumage. 



The Oyster Catcher of Europe is of occasional occurrence in Iceland and Greenland, 

 and claims, on that account alone, to be included among the birds of our fauna. It is 

 found along the entire Atlantic sea-<*oast of Europe, is to be seen around the shores 

 of (Ircat llritain, from the Scilly Islands to the Shetland, and is common in Denmark, 

 .Sweden, and on the west shores of Norway, from spring to autumn. Pennant states 

 tliat this species is to be found along the northern shores of Russia aiul Siberia, 

 wlii're it breeds on the great Arctic flats, and that it even extends its range to 

 Kumtschatka. 



This species also inhabits all the coasts of the southern portion of Europe, passing 

 to North Africa by the line of Italy and Sicily. It is included by Temminck among 

 tiie birds of Japan, and by Keinhardt among those of Greenland, on the strength of 

 three specimens — one sent from Juliauehaab in 1847, another from Godthaab in 

 1851, and a third found in a collection from Nenortalik. Mr. Alfred Xewton states 

 that it is more common in the south than in the north of Iceland, and Eaber consid- 

 ered it resident throughout the 3'ear, as it remained in large flocks during the ■winter 

 in the south. It is most abundant on the sea-coast, but was found by Herr Preyer on 

 some of the inland waters. 



In Great Pritain and Ireland it is a common and a well-known species. It appears 

 to prefer the sandy shores of bays and wide inlets bounded with banks of shingle 

 and other localities favorable for th - production of the various kinds of inoUusks 

 upon which it principally feeds. Its peculiar beak, truncated and wedge-like in its 

 shape, and having a sharp vertical edge, is admirably Avell adapted for insertion 

 between the two portions of bivalve shells and for forcing them open. The Oyster 

 Catcher is also able with this powerful beak to detach univalve shells and limpets 

 from the surface of rocks, and does this easily and rapidly. Its food appears to be 

 mollusca of all kinds, Avorms, Crustacea, and marine insects. 



