ILEMATOPUS. 



295 



remarkable for the subtlety of their curves, but the bill of the Oystercatchers can only be 

 regarded by an artist as " sadly out of drawing." The diagnosis of the genus Hamatopus 

 will therefore stand as follows : — 



Charadriin^; with a nearly straight bill, longer than the tarsus, which is reticulated 

 all round. Each of these three characters may be found in other birds of this family, but 

 no birds belonging to it combine all three characters, except the Oystercatchers. 



Synonymy of the Genus ELematopus. 



Type. 



Hsematopus, Linneus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 152 (1758) ; Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 257 



(1766) H. ostralegus. 



Ostralega, Brisson, Orn. v. p. 38 (1760) H. ostralegus. 



Melanibyx, Reichenbach, fide Bonap. Compt. Rend, xliii. p. 420 (1856) . . . H. ater. 



The European Oystercatcher (fiiematqpus ostralegus), being the only Oystercatcher Determiua- 

 which was known to Linneus or Brisson, is of necessity the type. * lon ° e 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



(during the breeding-season). 





Pied. 



Pajmsarctic Region 



II. 







II. 





. . East. 



Ethiopian Region. 

 Throughout. 



Australian Region 



II. 





Nearctic Region. 



II. 





West. 



Black. 



H. CAPENSIS. 



H. UNICOLOR. 



H. NIGER. 



H. LETTCOPUS 

 H. GALAPAGENSIS 



Neotropical Region. 



South. 

 Galapagos Islands. 



H. ATER. 



