THE AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER. 239 



as effectually displayed as those of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker of our 

 woods, the colours of which are somewhat similar. The transparent white 

 of their wings contrasts with their jetty tips, and is enriched by the coral 

 hue of the bill, while the beautiful white of their lower parts has a very 

 pleasing effect. Their loud cries, too, oiivheep, wheep, ivheeop, which sound 

 in your ears, are quite different from any you have heard; and as they per- 

 form their various evolutions, all charming in themselves, you cannot, if un- 

 acquainted with the bird, refrain from asking what it is? Now wheeling with 

 wonderful impetuosity, they pass within a hundred yards of you, and sud- 

 denly checking their flight return, not low over the waters as before, but 

 high in the air. Again, they form their ranks in a broad front, and again, as 

 if suddenly alarmed by the report of a distant gun, they close pell-mell, and 

 dip towards the sands or the waters. Shoot one at such a moment, and you 

 may expect to kill another; but as this is done, the wary birds, as if sud- 

 denly become aware of your intentions, form themselves into a straggling 

 line, and before a minute has elapsed, far beyond reach, and fading on the 

 view, are the remaining Oyster-catchers. 



The gullet of this species is capable of being considerably distended. 

 When your finger is introduced into it, it passes with ease into a sort of 

 crop, where the food is apparently prepared before entering the gizzard, 

 which is rather muscular. How this bird disposes of the hard particles of 

 shells, pebbles, and other matters, with which its food is mixed, is beyond 

 my comprehension, and one which I gladly leave for your solution. Their- 

 flesh is dark, tough, and unfit for eating, unless in cases of extreme 

 necessity. 



The females and young are dark olive-brown above, like the males, but of 

 a browner shade. I have represented a male bird. I have never met with 

 the European Oyster-catcher, Hsematopus Oslralegus, in any part of the 

 United States, and, although I cannot of course aver that it does not occur 

 here, I believe that the American or Mantled Oyster-catcher has been con- 

 founded with it by Wilson and others. Indeed, the figure given by Wilson 

 resembles that of the European bird, but his description of the female and 

 young almost agrees with the present species, the dimensions also being 

 nearly the same. 



At Derniere Island, on the 15th of April, 1837, we met with a flock of 

 Oyster-catchers, fourteen or fifteen in number, flying compactly, and uttering 

 their usual cry of weep, weep. Two were shot down into the water, but 

 one of them that had only been wnnged, dived so effectually as to escape 

 from us, in spite of the most strenuous exertions of the sailors. At Galves- 

 ton Island on the 26th of April, they were quite away from the water, and 

 running among the grass, so that they probably had either eggs or young. 



