324 
OYSTER CATCHER. 
found the nest placed on the top of rocks standing 
insulated in an estuary, and probably from ten to 
fifteen feet above the ground. When approached 
at this season, the parent birds are very clamorous, 
and fly around, or hover over the intruder. 
In distribution, the Oyster Catcher appears com- 
mon throughout Europe, ■where the coasts are fitted 
to its habits. It extends northward to Russia and 
Siberia, and even to Kamtschatka.* It is probable, 
that it may extend beyond the European boundary, 
Teinminck mentioning it among the birds of Japan ; 
but extra European specimens have never come 
under our examination. 
Specimens before us reach in length from sixteen 
to nineteen inches ; the first, however, is a young 
specimen of the year, in full plumage ; another, 
seventeen inches, is, however, adult. The winter 
plumage is noted to consist of a collar of white 
beneath the throat ; but the specimens alluded to, 
one killed in December, the other in July, are nearly 
similar ; the feathers on the throat of'the first being 
narrowly tipped with white. In these, the head, 
neck, breast, upper parts of the back, shoulders, 
scapulars, lesser wing-coverts, and tip of the tail, are 
velvet-black ; on the back and mantle glossed with 
green ; the lower part of the breast, and other under 
parts, under eyelid, lower part of the back, upper 
tail-coverts, base of the tail, greater wing-coverts, 
and part of the inner webs of the quills, pure white ; 
the bill and circle round the eyes, orange ; legs and 
* Pennant. 
