HIEIVIATOPUS.
Bill longer than head, flattened sideways, bent slightly up ; no hind toe; toes united by membrane at base; frequent sea-coasts and sometimes inland waters; eggs in a depression on rock, pebbles, or sand, usually 3, stone buff with purple shell spots and blackish brown spots and blotches.
Hrematopus ostralegus ostralegus L. OYSTER CATCHER. Jr. Iluitrier pie ; Ger. Austernfischer ; Az/. Beccaccia di mare ; Swed. Strandskata.
9 Black ; small patch under eye, upper tail coverts, greater and tips of median wing coverts white ; quills partially white, tail basal portion white, apical black ; breast and abdomen white. Bill and eyelids vermilion. Irides crimson. Legs and feet dull crimson. Wing 245-273. Tarsus 44-53. Bill 72-75.
Breeds.—W. Coast of Europe from NAV. Spain north to British Isles, Faroes, Iceland, \Vhite and Baltic Seas ; also Macedonia, Asia Minor, and sometimes Black and Caspian Seas. Winters Iceland (few), British Isles (many), but principally on Medi terranean Coasts, W. Coast of Morocco, shores of Red Sea, and east to India, and south to C. Africa.
HLematopus niger meade-waldoi Bannerman.
'T Entirely black, except hidden bases of primaries, which are white. Iris carmine red. Bill orange red. Legs and feet red. Wing j 26o-263, 252-258. Tarsus 53. Bill j 73-77, cS' (H.).
Resident. —Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Graciosa (E. Canaries).
The typical race " H. n. niger" is S. African.