THE OYSTER-CATCHER. 507 



f Web between outer and middle toe reaching to middle of 



2Q J toes or nearly so Ereunetes 



j No web between outer and middle toes, or very small one, 

 v not nearly reaching to middle of toes . . .21 



Practically no web between outer and middle toe, bill 

 more or less widening before tip, sharply defined 

 against feathers and mostly slightly rugose just in 

 front of frontal feathering Calidris 



A small but distinct web between outer and middle toe, 

 21 ■{ bill gradually tapering to tip, sharply defined against 



feathering, but not rugose just in front of latter . . Tringa 



A very small web between outer and middle toe, bill 

 straight and strong, very little tapering, short feathers 

 encroaching on base of bill, but in 6* in spring forehead, 

 lores and sides of head bare and warty .... Philomachus 



Genus HCEMATOPUS L. 



Hjematopus Linnseus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 152 (1758 — Monotype 

 H. ost 



At once recognizable by peculiar bill which is strongly laterally 

 compressed, tip knife-like, longer than head, not pointed. Wing 

 long and pointed. Tail short. Tarsus and toes short and thick, 

 with hexagonal scales in front and behind. No hind toe. Toes 

 connected basally by webs, skin of toes laterally a little extended. 

 About 15 forms, can be grouped into two or three species. Only 

 one European. 



HiEMATOPUS OSTRALEGUS 



370. Haematopus ostralegus ostralegus L. — THE OYSTER- 

 CATCHER. 



H^ematoptjs Ostralegus Linnseus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 152 (1758 — 



Europe and North America. Restricted typical locality : Oeland [island 



near Sweden]. 



Ostralegus Hcematopus Macgillivray, Man. Brit. Orn., 11, p. 59 (1842 — 



New name for Hcematopus Ostralegus). 



Hcematopus ostralegus Linnseus, Yarrell, 111, p. 294 ; Saunders, p. 559. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter. — Crown, nape, 

 mantle and scapulars black glossed dull greenish ; back, rump and 

 upper tail-coverts white, two or three of latter often with black- 

 brown tips and markings ; small patch below eye white ; ear- 

 coverts, cheeks and sides of neck black ; chin black more or less 

 interspersed with white ; across middle of throat broad white band 

 continued as narrow band to sides of neck (many feathers tipped 

 black in fresh plumage) ; rest of throat and upper -breast black ; 

 remaining under -parts white ; tail-feathers black, basal halves 

 white, outer feathers with more than half white and faintly tipped 

 same ; primaries black with proximal three-quarters of inner webs 

 white (sometimes absent on 2nd), 3rd to 6th with oval white streak 

 along shaft towards tip (absent often on 3rd and sometimes on 4th 



