492 The Water-fowl Family 



from Labrador, south to Patagonia, and on the western coast 

 from Mexico to Chili, and breeds probably throughout its 

 range. Recorded in the West Indies ; but these records may 

 refer to H. pratlii — a bird with a slightly different bill, 

 described from the Bahamas. 



One of the largest and showiest of our waders, 

 formerly well known along the Atlantic Coast as 

 far as Massachusetts, now, however, rarely strag- 

 gling north of New Jersey. South of this point 

 the oyster-catcher is well known and is found on 

 the shores of the Southern states, the West Indies, 

 and Brazil, — ranging on the Pacific from Mexico 

 to Patagonia. In Virginia and North Carolina 

 this bird is common, on the high, barren stretches 

 of ocean beach ; if approached, running rapidly 

 just out of reach ; when hard pressed, rising and 

 uttering its note — a sharp tseep; generally flying 

 a short distance and lighting in some command- 

 ing spot, the bird surveys the intruder, then runs 

 along ahead. The gunners here seldom molest 

 it, as there is no market for the flesh, and the 

 sea-crow, for this is the local name, goes usually 

 undisturbed. In the spring I have often seen 

 the birds near Cobb's Island. They were in 

 pairs, sometimes four or five together, and kept 

 for the most part on the dry sand, though occa- 

 sionally I have noticed them close to the water, 

 and in one instance shot one over decoys on one 

 of the marshes in the bay. The flight of the 

 oyster-catcher is short and near the ground, but 



