360 



Bocayne on the sandy shores on the north side of Fuerteventura, near Corral ejos, where, he 

 adds, it doubtless breeds. Mr. Godman did not meet with it, but says (Ibis, 1872, p. 220) that 

 it is occasionally seen on the coast of Teneriffe. 



Mr. E. G. Meade- Waldo obtained an old female, in which he found well-developed eggs, 

 near the point of Jandia, on Fuerteventura, in February 1888, and adds that he was assured 

 that it breeds on the north coast of Fuerteventura, and also on the islands of Lanzarote and 

 Graciosa. In the following year he revisited Fuerteventura in February, but did not observe it, 

 though a boy, who had five examples, assured him that they were breeding when he shot them. 

 He subsequently, however, obtained a breeding pair on the island of Graciosa. 



In Africa the Black Oyster-catcher doubtless occurs all along the west coast as far as that 

 portion which is opposite to the Canaries, but the records of its occurrence north of the Equator 

 are very meagre. Andersson (B. of Damara Land, p. 277) speaks of it as being not uncommon 

 on the mainland of the south-west African coast, as well as on the adjacent islands. Mr. E. L. 

 Layard, who records it from the Cape Colony, states that it is '• not uncommon along the shores 

 of South Africa, extending far towards the Line on both sides of the continent " ; and Mr. Sharpe, 

 in his edition of Layard's B. of S. Africa, says that Mr. Bickard found it at Port Elizabeth and 

 East London, but not plentiful at either place. According to Mr. Ayres (Ibis, 1862, p. 34) 

 these Oyster-catchers " are very scarce in Natal. They frequent the sea-shore, are active in 

 their habits, and run with considerable swiftness ; they feed along the sandy beaches ; on the 

 receding of a wave they run quickly into the shallow water, and inserting their wedge-shaped 

 bill up to their heads in the sand, haul out small crabs, which having secured they run high 

 and dry to devour at leisure." 



In East Africa the Black Oyster-catcher has been met with as far as the southern portion of 

 the Bed Sea. Biippell (Vog. N.O.-Afr. p. 118) says that a single specimen was obtained on the 

 island of Dahalak in the Bed Sea, but not preserved, and von Heuglin (Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 1041) 

 speaks of it as of accidental occurrence on the dunes and islands in the southern part of the 

 Bed Sea. 



In habits the Black Oyster-catcher appears to resemble //. ostralegus, frequenting the rock- 

 bound or sandy shores, where they pick up small crustaceans, mollusca, &c, and often follow 

 the receding waves in search of food. Bolle remarks on their great swiftness of foot, and says 

 that they usually escape pursuit by running, and only take wing when closely pressed. They 

 are usually seen in pairs and are inseparable, but in October and November, according to 

 Andersson, they collect in large flocks and are then extremely shy and difficult of approach 

 within gunshot range. Its cry is loud, like that of our common European Oyster-catcher, and it 

 is said to be a somewhat noisy bird. It feeds on worms, insects, small crustaceans, and mollusca, 

 which latter it searches for in the crevices of the rocks and under stones ; and Andersson remarks 

 that while thus engaged it sometimes swims a short distance from rock to rock, and he further 

 states that he has been told that its flesh is excellent, but that he himself never tasted it. 



The Black Oyster-catcher breeds in South Africa and also in the Canaries. Mr. Layard. 

 says (B. of S. Afr. p. 300) that he received its eggs from Mr. Hugo, of Simon's Town, who 

 procured them along the shore towards Cape Point. The eggs, he says, " are generally two in 

 number, laid in a simple depression in the sand, in the debris accumulated just beyond 



