THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Immahire. Differs from the adult in having the parts that are black in the adult, brown. 
The wing-coverts and scapulars are tipped and edged with white. The flank- 
feathers are tipped with brown. The brown extends on to the lower-back. The 
upper tail-coverts are almost aU brown, having only a shght edging of white. Bill, 
culmen, and point dark brown ; legs and feet dark in the skin. 
Young, in down. “ Greyish-buff, with black spots on the back, and with a dark longi- 
tudinal stripe on each side above the wing ” (Campbell). 
Nest. A depression in the sand. 
Eggs. Clutch, two ; ground-colour pale stone, spotted all over with marks of very dark 
reddish-brown and lavender ; axis 61-65 mm., diameter 40-43. 
Breeding-season. August to January (Littler, Tasmania). 
Dampier saw these birds on the West coast of Australia, and gave a figure 
of one in the third volume of A Voyage to New Holland . . in the year 1699 ; 
although the bird was figured with four toes, it is nevertheless a good 
drawing. He speaks of them in his book as Red-bills. Cook also noticed 
them as well as the black species, and in the Watling Drawings, No. 254, is a 
beautiful painting of an adult, the writing on it being, “ New HoUand Oyster- 
catcher, Qu. a Variety of Pied Oister-catcher, Latham, Syn. 5, p. 219. Native 
name Booming, seldom seen in more than pairs, it is a very Solitary Bird.” 
No. 255 is also a painting of a bird just arriving into full plumage, 
and on it is written, “ Native name, Boo-an-ing.” A note is added which 
reads : “ Native name Boo-an-ing, or Booming. This is a very recluse 
and Solitary Bird, being never found in more than pairs. It has but one 
simple plaintive tone, which it never varies, the Drawing is about one-fourth 
of the Natural size. This appears a variety of the red Bill, which is the 
common name it goes by here, or it is a young one full plumage, for most 
others have had the legs as red as the Bill. It frequents the Sea Shores, and 
lives on spawn and young Fish, both shell and others, which gives the 
Flesh a Fat of which it has a great share, it is a strong Fish of an oily flavour, 
both the Flesh and Fat, are very high colored, particularly the latter, which 
is mostly red and very abundant as before noticed. It is naked or bare of 
Feathers one third up the thigh. Its toes are more fleshy and thick than 
Sea Birds in general, and are a little way connected by a Web or membrane 
in so much that they may be called palmatted. 
New Holland Oister-catcher Latham, Syn. 5, p. 212 
Variety of Pied Oister Catcher. Qu. if not a new species.” 
Mr. Frank Littler of Tasmania tells me that this species, except during 
the breeding-season, moves along the shores in small bands of from four to 
eight. At any time of the day it may be seen running along on the sands, 
diligently searching for scraps of all sorts washed up by the tide, and for 
marine insects of various kinds. 
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