

PIED OYSTER-CATCHER. 4 2Q 



of the back and wings, light slate ; lower part of the back 

 and rump, white, but concealed by a mass of long unwebbed 

 hairlike plumage, that falls over the tail and tips of the 

 wings, extending three inches beyond them ; these plumes are 

 of a dirty purplish brown at the base, and lighten towards the 

 extremities to a pale cream colour ; the tail is even at the tip, 

 rather longer than the wings, and of a fine slate ; the legs 

 and naked thighs, greenish yellow ; middle claw pectinated ; 

 whole lower parts pure white. Male and female alike in 

 plumage, both being crested. 



PIED OYSTER-CATCHER. (Hcematopus ostralegus) 



PLATE LXIV.— Fig. 2. 



Arct. Zool. No. 406.— Catesby, i. 85.—Beivick, ii. 23.— Peak's Museum, 

 No. 4258. 



HCEMATOPUS PALLIATUS ?— Temminck.* 



Haematopus ostralegus, Bonap. St/nop. p. 300.— Hsematopus palliatus ? Jard. and 

 Selby, Must. Ornith. vol. iii. plate 125. 



This singular species, although nowhere numerous, inhabits 

 almost every sea-shore both on the new and old continent, 



* The oyster-catchers of Europe and America are said by Temminck 

 and Bonaparte to be identical. Such, also was the opinion of most 

 ornithologists, and my own, until a closer comparison of American 

 specimens with British showed a distinction. There is another, how- 

 ever, with which the American bird may be confounded, and I cannot 

 decidedly say that it is distinct, the H. palliatus, Temm. I have not 

 seen that species ; but from the description of the upper parts being 

 grayish brown, it must either be distinct, or the young state of the 

 North American bird. My specimens of the latter are of the purest 

 black and white. 



Bonaparte, in his " Nomenclature," says the species is common to both 

 continents ; and mentions that he had specimens before him, from each 

 country, decidedly alike. From this circumstance I should be inclined 

 to give two species to North America, as the distinctions between them 

 are so great as it would be impossible to overlook on an examination 

 such as he was likely to give. 



The following are the distinctive marks of the species in my posses- 



