Variations. 



306 



H^MATOPUS. 



St. George. Durnford believed that he met with this species breeding on the Atlantic 

 coast of Patagonia in lat. 44°, and Mr. John Young has recently brought home an example 

 from Tova Harbour in lat. 45°. I have examples of both this species and H. leucopus 

 collected by Read in Chili, probably near Santiago. 



It is a remarkable fact that this bird does not appear to ascend any of the large rivers 

 of America, as the Pied Oystercatchers of the Old World very frequently do, especially 

 during the breeding-season. 



Synonym}'. 



Literature. 



H^MATOPUS LEUCOPUS. 



FALKLAND-ISLAND PIED OYSTERCATCHEB. 



Diagnosis. HyEMatopus uropygio nigro : abdomine albo. 



It is probable that the Oystercatcher found on the Galapagos may be a cross between 

 H. leucopus and H. palliatus, but it is possible that the birds described by Ridgway are 

 birds of the year of the former species. 



Hffimatopus leucopus, Garnot,fide Lesson and Garnot, Voy. Coquille, Zool. i. p. 721 (1826). 

 Ostralega leucopus^ Lesson, fide Lesson and Garnot, Voy. Coquille, Zool. i. p. 721 (1826). 

 Hsematopus luctuosuSj Cuvier, Regne Animal, i. p. 504 (1829). 



Plates. — Jardine and Selby, 111. Orn. iii. pi. 125 (incorrectly styled H. palliatus) . 

 Habits. — Abbott, Ibis, 1861, p. 156. 



Eggs, collected by Capt. Abbott, and now in the British Museum, resemble those of H. palliatus 

 in size and character of spots, but are much darker in ground-colour. 



Specific 

 characters. 



The Falkland-Island Pied Oystercatcher is very nearly allied to the American Pied 

 Oystercatcher, from which it principally differs in having the brown parts replaced by 

 black. It has also on an average a decidedly shorter tarsus and foot, a more slender bill, 

 much more black on the under wing-coverts, and the black on the breast extends 

 somewhat lower down. It may always be recognized by its combination of the two 

 characters black rump and white belli/. 



