IIG 



PR^COCIAL GRALLA.TORES — LIMICOL^. 



Haematopus niger. 



BLACK OYSTER CATCHER. 



Hccmatnpus nigci; Pall. Zotig. Eosso-As. 11. 18-31, 131. — BAir.D, Bird.? N. .Am. 1S.'>8, 700; Cat. 



N. Am. B. ISoi), no. 513. — CoUEs, Key, 1S72, 216 ; Check List, 1873, no. 405 ; 2d ed. 1SS2, no. 



597 — KiDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 18S2, no. 508. 

 Hccmafopus Bachmani, AuD. Oi'u. Biog. V. 1839, 245, \A. 427 ; Synop. 1839, 229 ; Birds Am. V. 1842, 



24.3, pi. 325. — TOWX.S Narr. 1839, 348. 



Hab. Pacific coast of North America, as far south as Lower California ; breeding south to 

 Santa Cruz, California. Kurile Inlands. 



Sp. Char. Adult: Head, neck, and ju.mikini black, with more or le.ss of a plumbeous cast ; 

 rest of the plumage uniform blackish brown. " Bill vermilion, fading to yellow on the worn parts 

 toward the end. Edges of eyelids vermilion ; iris yellow. Feet white, slightly tinged with flesh- 

 color ; claws yellowish, toward the end dusky" (Audubon). 



Wing, 9.60-10.75; culmen, 2.50-2.95 ; greatest depth of bill (forward of nostril), .45-.52 ; tar- 

 sus, 1.85-2.25 ; middle toe, 1.30-1.65. 



There is no very young specimen of fl. niyer in the collection ; but a very young example of 

 the southern form (var. akr) from Tierra del Fuego (No. 154S4) is wholly dusk\- Ijlackish, each 



feather, above and below, except on the head and neck, tipped 'nith a narrow bar of pale ochra- 

 ceous. This character of immaturity is indicated in several of the specimens of H. niger in the 

 collection by the presence of a few whitish narrow bars on the abdomen. One example, still 

 younger (No. 28009, Straits of Fuca), has some of the ^viug-coverts narrowly and indistinctly 

 tipped with ochraceous, and the bill is yellowish horn-color, except on the liasal portion. 



This species, first made known as a Xorth American bird by Townsend, was called 

 by Audubon Bachman's Oyster Catcher. It had been previously described by Pallas 

 as belonging to Xortheastern Asia and the surrounding islands. j\Ir. Townsend men- 

 tions having found it alrandant along the whole of our northwest coast, as well as 

 in Regent's Sound. The specimens mentioned by these authors were shot in June, 

 1836. Other specimens have since been taken in Alaska, at San Miguel Island, 

 Sitka, Kadiak, in California, and elsewhere. 



!Mr. li. Browne (Ibis, 1S68) states that this species, though not a common Ijird in 

 the southern portion of Vancojiver Island, is quite abundant at the northern end, 

 and very plentiful al)0ut Queen Charlotte Islands. In March, 1866, while rowing 

 along the narrow sounds among these islands, he often met with it. It was by no 



