243 



BACHMAN'S OYSTER-CATCHER. 



-f-H-EMATOPUS Bachmani, Jlud. 

 PLATE CCCXXV.— Male. 



According to my friend Mr. Townsend, this species is abundant along 

 the whole of the north-west coast of America, as well as in Regent's Sound, 

 but is rarely seen on the shores within Cape Disappointment. The speci- 

 men sent to me by him is ticketed as a male, shot in June 1836; but as in 

 this genus there is no difference as to colour between the male and the 

 female, it may be supposed that in this case the female differs only in being 

 somewhat smaller. 



The discovery of two new species is very remarkable, especially when it 

 is seen that not one of our three Oyster-catchers resembles the Hsematopus 

 Ostralegus of Europe, which for a long time was supposed to exist in 

 America, on account of the figure given of this latter bird by Wilson, who 

 must have taken it from a stuffed European specimen in Peale's Museum 

 in Philadelphia. Whether this be the case or not, it is pretty certain that 

 no such bird as Wilson has represented has as yet been observed in any part 

 of North America, although some writers have gone so far as to say so, 

 without however offering any evidence. 



Bachman's Oyster-catcher, Hcematopus Bachmani, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 245. 



Male, ll\, wing 10; bill 2f. 



North-west coast, Regent's Sound, and about the mouth of the Columbia 

 river. Rather common. Migratory. 



Male. 



Bill long, slender but strong, straight, higher than broad at the base, 

 towards the end extremely compressed, terminating in a very thin wedge- 

 shaped point. Upper mandible with the dorsal line at the base straight and 

 slightly sloping-, a little arched beyond the nostrils, then nearly straight and 

 sloping to the point, the ridge broad and flattened as far as the prominence, 

 afterwards very narrow, the sides sloping at the base, perpendicular towards 

 the end, the edges sharp and direct. Nasal groove basal, long; nostrils sub- 

 basal, in the middle of the groove near the margin, linear, direct, pervious. 



