. . ater like a little feeds on the spawn of the great crab, known locally as thehorsefoot or horseshoe; also on insects, worms and small crusta-ceans. Audubon noticed that in northern Florida the Turnstonefed on the oyster beds at low tide, picking at oysters that hadbeen killed by the heat of the sun; also breaking the shells ofsmall, thin-shelled bivalves. Oyster-catchers. The Oyster-catchers (family HcEmatopodidoc) may be knownat once by their large size, striking appearance and the pe-culiarly shaped bill, which is about
. . ater like a little feeds on the spawn of the great crab, known locally as thehorsefoot or horseshoe; also on insects, worms and small crusta-ceans. Audubon noticed that in northern Florida the Turnstonefed on the oyster beds at low tide, picking at oysters that hadbeen killed by the heat of the sun; also breaking the shells ofsmall, thin-shelled bivalves. Oyster-catchers. The Oyster-catchers (family HcEmatopodidoc) may be knownat once by their large size, striking appearance and the pe-culiarly shaped bill, which is about twice as long as the head,much compressed or flattened on the sides, cut off at the endlike the blade of a screwdriver, sharp edged and contracted atthe nostrils. It is a very efficient weapon for opening the shellsof bivalve mollusks or prying barnacles off the rocks. Eachtoe has a narrow membrane on each side, and the middle andouter ones are connected by a web toward the base. 362 GAME BIRDS, WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. OYSTER-CATCHER (Hcematopus palliatus).. Length. — 17 to 21 inches; bill 3 to 4; no hind toe, outer and middle toesslightly webbed. Adult. — Head and neck black; back, wings and end of tail dark brown;rump, broad wing bands, base of tail and under parts white; bill ver-milion, long, stout, compressed toward tip; feet, legs and eyelids pale red. Young. — Head and neck more brown than black; feathers of upper partsmore or less edged with buff, bill dull rather than bright. Notes. — A loud shrill whistling, wJieep — tvheep — wheo (Wilson). Nest. — A mere depression in marsh or beach. Eggs. — Two or three, about by , bluish white or buff, marked withblackish and various shades of brown and neutral tints. Season. — Formerly summer resident; late April to August. Range. — Sea-coasts of temperate and tropical America from Virginia, Texas,Louisiana, south on both coasts of Mexico and South America to south-ern Brazil and central Chile; form
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Keywords: ., bookauthorjobherbe, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1912
