H^.MATOPUS LONGIROSTRIS, VMii. 
White-breasted Oyster-catcher. 
Hcematopus longirostris, Vieill.,'* 2nd Edit, du Nouv. Diet. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xy. p. 410. — Ib. Ency. Meth., Part I. 
p. 341. 
picatus, Vig. App. to King’s Voy. to Australia. 
Australasiamis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 155. 
This species is so generally dispersed over the southern coast of Australia, that to particularize localities 
where it may be found would be superfluous, but I may state that it is more abundant in Van Diemen’s Land 
and the islands in Bass’s Straits than elsewhere. As is the case with the European species, low muddy flats 
under the influence of the tide, sandy bays on the sea-shore, estuaries, the mouths of rivers and marshes, 
are its natural places of resort. During the greater part of the year it may be observed in small companies 
of from three to ten or more in number, together Avith the Hcematopus fiiliginosus and other shore birds, 
such as Curlews, Whimbrels, Stints, Sandpipers, &c., that seek their food on beaches and sand-banks, 
whereon each receding tide leaves numerous mollusks and other marine animals, which afford a plentiful 
repast to myriads of birds of the order of which the present species forms a part. In its appearance it is 
very handsome and attractive, the white feathers of the wings and breast showing very conspicuously as it 
nimbly trips over the sands. During the breeding-season, which lasts from September to January, it leaves 
the shores and resorts to small islands and rocky promontories for the purpose of rearing its young. The 
eggs, which are two or three in number, are usually deposited on the bare ground near the water’s edge ; 
they are of a huffy stone-colour, marked all over with large irregular blotches of dark chestnut-brown, ap- 
proaching to black ; two inches and a quarter long by one inch five-eighths broad. The young are soon 
capable of running, and in case of danger secrete themselves behind a stone or in a crevice of the rocks, 
while the adults keep flying backwards and forwards, uttering their loud and clamorous cries with the view 
of decoying away the intruder, — a stratagem often resorted to by other birds. 
The sexes present no external difference whatever. The young, from the time they are half-grown to 
maturity, have the same kind of plumage, but differ from the adults in having each black feather of the 
back and wings strongly edged Avith brown, forming circular marks and bars on nearly the Avhole of the 
upper surface. 
Head, neck, breast, back, wings, and tail-feathers for three parts of their length from the tip, deep 
greenish black ; the tips of the Aving-coverts, abdomen, rump, upper and under tail-coverts, and the bases of 
the tail-feathers pure white ; irides crimson ; bill and eyelash deep orange-scarlet ; feet light brick-red. 
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size. 
