BIRDS—HAEMATOPODIDAE—HAEMATOPUS PALLIATUS. 
699 
Family HAEMATOPODIDAE. 
The Haematopodidae , as characterized on a preceding page, includes hut two North American 
genera —Haematopus and Strepsilas. Aphriza, by some placed with them, appear more 
properly to belong with the Charadridcie. 
The genera are readily distinguished as follows : 
Haematopus. —Size large. Bill longer than the tarsus ; much compressed. Hind toe 
wanting. Tarsus reticulated anteriorly. Middle and outer toes connected at base. 
Strepsilas. —Size median. Bill shorter than the tarsus, which is scutellate anteriorly. Hind 
toe present. No basal membrane to the anterior toes. 
HAEMATOPUS, Linn. 
Haematopus, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1735. Type II. ostralegus, L. 
Ch. —Bill longer than the leg, twice as long as the head. Mandibles much compressed, sharp edged, and truncate at end 
Hind toe wanting. Legs reticulated, with five or six elongated plates in a transverse series. Meshes larger anteriorly. A 
basal membrane between middle and outer toes. Toes enlarged laterally by a thickened membrane. Tail even. First 
primary longest. 
HAEMATOPUS PALLIATUS, Temm. 
» Oyster Catcher. 
Haematopus palliatus, Temm. Man. II, 1820,532.— Aud. Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 181: V, 580; pi. 223 .—Ib. Syn. 
228.— Ib. Birds Amer. V, 1812, 236; pi. 324. 
Haematopus ostralegus, Wils. Am. Orn. VIII, 1814, 15 ; pi. Ixiv. (Not of Linnaeus.) 
Haematopus arcticus, Jard. ed. Wils. Ill, 1832, 35. 
Haematopus liypoleucus, Pallas, Zoog. Rosso-As. 11, 1811, 129. 
Sp. Ch. —Bill long, straight, flattened vertically; wing long; tail short; legs moderate, rather robust; toes margined; 
outer and middle united at base. Hoad and neck brownish black, with a slight ashy tinge in very mature specimens. Upper 
parts of body light ashy brown, rather darker on the rump. Upper tail coverts and wide diagonal band across the wing 
white. Quills brownish black ; tail feathers at base white, with their terminating half brownish black. Under parts of body 
and under wing coverts white. Bill and edge of eyelids bright orange red. Legs pale reddish. 
Total length, about 17| inches ; wing, 10 ; tail, 4| ; bill to gape, 3| ; tarsus, 2) inches. 
Hab. —Coast of the Atlantic ocean. States on the Pacific? Florida, (Dr. Wall.) 
Between specimens obtained, in winter, in New Jersey, and European specimens stated to be 
also in the plumage of winter, there is certainly a very strong similarity, and, unfortunately, 
* 
the comparisons of naturalists have apparently been made only from specimens of the two 
continents, representing plumages of quite different seasons. Were it not so, we suspect that 
there would be some difficulty in distinguishing the American H. palliatus from the European 
H. ostralegus. 
There is no bird amongst the Waders at present the changes of the plumage of which may 
be studied with greater interest than the bird now before us. The only plumage known to us, 
and, as far as we can ascertain, to our cotemporaries, in American ornithology, is that 
described above, with the upper parts of the body light brown. By analogy with its near 
relative of Europe our bird has, however, very probably much darker plumage in summer. 
