236 
Genus IV.— HJEMATOPUS. OYSTER-CATCHER. 
Bill long, slender, straight, or slightly recurvate, higher than broad at the 
base, extremely compressed toward the end ; upper mandible with the dorsal 
line straight and slightly sloping at the base, somewhat convex beyond the 
nostrils, then straight and sloping to the point, the ridge broad and flattened 
as far as the prominence, afterwards extremely narrow, the sides sloping at 
the base, perpendicular towards the end, the edges rather sharp, the tip 
abrupt and wedge-shaped; nasal groove long, bare ; lower mandible with the 
angle of moderate length, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the 
sides erect, the edges thin, the tip abrupt and wedged. Nostrils sub-basal, 
linear, near the margin. Head of moderate size, ovate, the forehead round- 
ed ; neck of moderate length ; body compact. Feet of moderate length, 
rather stout ; tibia bare for about a fourth of its length ; tarsus slightly com- 
pressed, covered all round with hexagonal scales : toes of moderate length, 
stout, marginate, flat beneath, webbed at the base, the outer considerably 
longer than the inner, the first wanting. Claws rather small, arched, mode- 
rately compressed, obtuse. Plumage generally blended, on the back com- 
pact. Wings long, pointed, the first quill longest. Tail short, nearly even, 
of twelve feathers. Tongue short, triangular, fleshy ; oesophagus dilated 
into a pretty large crop ; stomach oblong, muscular, with the epithelium 
dense and longitudinally rugous ; intestine long and rather slender ; coeca 
long and nearly cylindrical : cloaca globular. 
THE AMERICAN O YS T E R-C AT C HER. 
HiGMATOPUS palliatus, Temm. 
PLATE CCCXXIY.— Male. 
Our Oyster-catcher has a very extensive range. It spends the winter 
along the coast from Maryland to the Gulf of Mexico, and being then abun 
dant on the shores of the Eloridas, may be considered a constant resident in 
the United States. At the approach of spring, it removes toward the Middle 
