280 Mr. D. A. Banuerman on an Ornithological 



Hcematopus niger Cuv. ; Webb & Berthelot, Ornithologie 

 Cauarienne, 1841j p. 83. 



Hamatopus niger Temm. ; Bolle, J. f. O. 1855, p. 175. 



Hcematopus moquini Bonap. ; Bolle, J. f. O. 1857, p. 337 ; 

 Godman, Ibis, 1872, p. 220 ; Koenig, J. f. O. 1890, p. 297 ; 

 Hartert, Nov. Zool. 1901, p. 332; Tlianner, Orn. Jahrb. 

 1905, p. 64 ; 1908, p. 213 ; Polatzek, Orn. Jahrb. 1909, 

 pp. 21,208. 



Hcematopus capensis Lioht. ; Meade-Waldo, Ibis, 1889, 

 pp. 13, 508; 1904, p. 437 ; 1893, p. 204. 



Hcematopus niger Meade-Waldo ! ; Thanner, Orn. Jahrb. 

 1913, p. 189. 



As I have figured this Oystercatcher in the first part 

 of this paper (Plate VI.), I have thought it advisable to 

 include the short original description which appeared in 

 the ^Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club,' especially 

 as it has recently been misquoted in the ' Ornithologische 

 Jahrbuch.' 



" Hcematopus niger meadewaldoi Bannerman. 



" Similar to H. niger niger Temm., but decidedly smaller, 

 particularly as regards the measurement of the wing, but 

 with the culmen conspicuously longer and the tarsus more 

 slender. The basal portion of the inner webs of the 

 primaries is white, forming a large patch, partially con- 

 cealed by the under wing-coverts. In H. niger niger there 

 is scarcely any white at the base of the quills, though the 

 primaries become lighter towards the base " *. 



* By referring to Plate VI. it will be seen that in the figure a faint 

 wing-patch is visible, caused by the median portion of the outer webs 

 of the primaries beii:g whitish. At the time when I described this 

 Oystercatcher I had only three birds in the brownish plumage to 

 examine. I therefore hesitated to include this peculiar patch as a 

 regular character. I have since procured myself an adult male example 

 in the full glossy-black breeding-plumage, which is the specimen figured, 

 and, as can be seen in the painting, the patch is most marked. I con- 

 clude, therefore, that it is a characteristic of the subspecies described 

 and is not, as I at first believed, due to wear. 



