198 GRALLATORES. HAISMATOPUS. 
species, and such as come nearest in structure to the Rasorial 
Order, being more attached to the land, than those which 
are more immediately connected with the other families of the 
Grallatores. 'These latter live on the sea-coasts, or in places 
immediately contiguous to water, obtaining their food in a 
great measure from that element ; the others, on the contrary, 
reside in the interior of the country, preferring open ground 
and plains ; whilst some of them even inhabit the arid sands 
of the desert. A great proportion of this family feed at 
twilight, or during the night, and have the eyes large, which 
is necessarily attended by a corresponding expansion of the 
socket, giving the head a bulky appearance ; and this is a 
characteristic feature with them. The number of eggs laid 
by most of the genera is restricted to, four, as in the Scolopa- 
cide ; in Gidicnemus, however, it is confined to ¢wo, thus ex- 
hibiting the connexion of this genus with the Bustards. 
The flight of the Charadriade is in general strong and ra- 
pid; the wings being long, and usually brought to a point. 
Most of them are subject to the double moult, or that change 
of plumage which immediately precedes the season of repro- 
duction. 
Genus HAEMATOPUS, Linn. OYSTER-CATCHER. 
GENERIC CHARACTERS. 
Bill longer than the head, strait, strong, the point much 
compressed and forming a wedge; culmen of the anterior 
part slightly convex. Upper mandible with a broad lateral 
groove, extending to one-half the length of the bill. Man- 
dibles nearly equal, and having their tips truncated. 
Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, pierced in the membrane of 
the mandibular groove. 
Legs of mean length, naked for a short space above the 
tarsal joint. Tarsus strong; feet three-toed; all the toes 
