HiEMATOPUS ATER 125 



H-aSMATOPUS ATER (Lesson) 



HsBmatopuS niger (nee Pallas), Quoy et Gaimard, Zool. Voy. 



" Uranie;' i, p. 129, pi. xxxiv, 1824. 

 Ostralega atra, Lesson, Traits d'Orn., p. 548, 1831. 

 HaematopUS ater, Abbott, ibis, p. 155, 1861 ; Bumford, Ibis, p. 403, 



1878; Oustalet, Miss. Sci. Gap Horn, Ois., p. 119, 1891; Sharpe, 



Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxiv, p. 121, 1896. 



Habitat. — Central Patagonia on the east, Peru on the west, to Tierra 

 del Fuego ; the Falkland Islands. 



-'o^ 



(^ Admiralty Sound, 19th Jan., 1905. 



Iris and eyelids — orange ; bill — scarlet ; legs and feet — pale flesh colour. 



The Black Oyster-catcher is recorded by the majority of 

 expeditions, with the exception of Darwin — who did not meet 

 with either this species or H. leucopus. Durnford observed 

 it on Tombo Point, Central Patagonia, which appears to be 

 its most northerly recorded range on the east coast. 



This Oyster-catcher seems common in other parts of the island, 

 and is, I believe, extremely common in the Falkland Islands. 

 I found it rare. I saw only three, all on the sea shore, a pair 

 near the southern point of Useless Bay, and this single example 

 on a spit of shingle at the entrance to Admiralty Sound. 



It appears to be entirely a shore form : I saw vast numbers 

 of H. leucopus inland during spring and summer, but never one 

 of this species. 



According to Capt. Abbott, in the Falkland Islands the Black 

 Oyster-catcher lays its eggs in the beginning of November, just 

 one month later than H. leucopus. A hole, formed in the 

 shingle just above high- water mark, generally on a point 

 running out, is its favourite nesting-place. 



There were remains of shell-fish in this bird's stomach. 



