AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER. 185 



Head of moderate size, oblong, the forehead rounded. Neck rather 

 long. Body stout, compact, deeper than broad. Wings long. Feet of 

 moderate length, rather stout ; tibia bare for a fourth of its length, and, 

 like the slightly compressed tarsus, covered all round with hexagonal 

 scales ; toes rather short and fleshy, the hind toe wanting, the second a 

 little shorter than the fourth, the third much longer, all scaly at the base 

 above, scutellate towards the end, flattened and broad beneath, with thick 

 margins, which are covered with prominent thick scales, and connected 

 at the base by short webs of which the outer is longer ; claws small, blunt, 

 rather compressed, that of the middle toe largest, and with a dilated thin 

 inner edge. « 



Plumage of the head and neck short, blended, of the back compact, 

 and slightly glossed, of the lower parts close and rather blended, the fea- 

 thers in general incurved, broad, and rounded. Wings long, acute ; 

 primaries rather narrow and tapering, the first longest, the second slight- 

 ly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries broad and rounded, 

 the inner much elongated and tapering. Tail short, rounded of twelve 

 rather broad, rounded feathers. 



Bill vermilion, lighter at the base. Edges of eyelids vermilion ; iris 

 bright yellow. Feet very pale flesh-colour ; claws brownish-black. Head 

 and neck dull black tinged with bluish-grey ; lower eyelid white ; the 

 bases of the feathers on the chin white. The general colour of the upper 

 parts is light greyish-brown, tinged with olive, and in certain lights with 

 faint reddish-purple reflections ; the edge of the wing, the tips of the se- 

 condary coverts, the secondary quills, excepting the inner elongated ones, 

 pure white ; as are the breast, sides, under wing-coverts, abdomen, sides 

 of the rump, the upper and the lower tail-coverts. Basal half of the tail 

 white, the rest greyish-brown, like the back. 



Length to end of tail 11^, to end of claws 19|; wing from flexure 

 10^, tail 4j ; extent of wings 36 ; bill along the back 8f ; along the 

 edge 3| ; bill at the base j%, at the deepest part in the middle ^^^ ; naked 

 part of tibia 1 ; tarsus 2^ ; middle toe 1^%, its claw ^^. Weight 1 lb. 

 4^ oz. 



The bill varies considerably in length and depth. Individuals vary 

 in length from 17 to 18 inches. 



The Female is precisely similar to the male. 



