Ordee GRILLE.] [Fam. CHARADRIID^E. 



H^MATOPUS LONGIBOSTBIS. 



(PIED OYSTER-CATCHER.) 



Hcematopus longirostris, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xv. p. 410 (1817). 

 Hcematopus picatus, Vigors, App. King's Voy. p. 420 (1834). 

 Hcematoptis aiistralasianus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 155. 



Native name. — Torea. 



Ad. supra niger, dorso postico et uropygio cum supracaudalibus albis, his nigro notatis : tectricibus alarum 

 majoribus conspicue albo terminatis, fasciam verticalem formantibus : remigibus brunnescenti-nigris, 

 scapis branneis : cauda, nigra, rectricibus versus basin albis : gutture toto et pectore superiore nigris, illo 

 paullo brunnescente : corpore reliquo subtus albo, subalaribus marginalibus nigris : rostro apice flavo 

 cruentato : pedibus cruentatis : iride coccinea. 



Adult. Head, neck, and fore part of breast, mantle, scapulars, and upper surface of wings and tail shining 

 black, glossed with green in certain lights; back, rump, lower part of breast, and all the under 

 surface pure white ; the secondaries and their coverts crossed by a broad band of white, which is very 

 conspicuous when the wings are spread ; the axillary plumes and the inner lining of wings pure white, 

 the edges of the latter mottled with dusky black. In some examples the dark plumage is sharply 

 defined against the white of the lower parts by a line crossing the breast just above the insertion of the 

 wings ; in others the line of demarcation is broken by scattered fringes of white intermixed with the 

 black. Irides and eyelids crimson ; bill dark arterial red, changing to coral-red towards the tips of both 

 mandibles, which are yellow; legs dark arterial-red. Length 18 inches; wing, from flexure, 10"5 ; 

 tail 4'25; bill, along the ridge, 3 - 6, along the edge of lower mandible 3 - 75; bare tibia 1; tarsus 2; 

 middle toe and claw 1*6. 



Young. Plumage as in the adult, but with the white of the underparts less pure, and the feathers of the 

 back and wings narrowly margined with fulvous brown ; bill reddish brown ; legs pale red. 



Chick. Covered with down of a greyish-buff colour, varied on the upper parts with black ; there is a broad 

 streak of black on the crown, another on each wing and thigh, and a series of large square spots down 

 the middle of the back, tinged with red at the base ; legs dark grey. 



Albino. Major Mair informs me that he saw a pure albino of this species on the ocean-beach at Opotiki. 

 The whole of the plumage was of snowy whiteness, and the irides, bill, and feet bright red. He 

 observed this beautiful bird on several occasions ; but failed in all his efforts to secure it. 



This tine species, which closely resembles the European Oyster-catcher (_BT. ostralegus), is gene- 

 rally dispersed over the southern coast of Australia, and is particularly abundant in Tasmania and 

 among the islands in Bass's Straits. It likewise occurs all round the New-Zealand coasts ; but 



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