BLACK-XECKED STILT. 9 



smaller parties, but they still remain gregarious through the 

 breeding season. Their favorite residence is in the higher 

 and more inland parts of the greater salt marshes, which 

 ai*e interspersed and broken up with shallow pools, not usually 

 overflowed by the tides during summer. In these places 

 they are often seen wading up to the breast in water, in quest 

 of the larvae, spawn, flies, and insects, which constitute their 

 food. 



In the vicinity of these bare places, among thick tufts of 

 grass, small associations of six or eight pair, take up their resi- 

 dence for the breeding season. They are, however, but 

 sparingly dispersed over the marshes, selecting their favorite 

 spots, while in large intermediate tracts, few or none are to 

 be seen. Early in May, they begin to make their nests, 

 which are at first slightly formed of a mere layer of old grass, 

 just sufficient to keep the eggs from the moisture of the 

 marsh ; in the course of incubation, however, either to 

 guard against the rise of the tides, or for some other pur- 

 pose, the nest is increased in height with the dry twigs of 

 salt marsh shrubs, roots of grass, sea-weed, and any other 

 coarse materials which may be convenient, until the whole 

 may now weigh two or three pounds. The eggs, four in num- 

 ber, are of a dark yellowish drab, thickly marked with large 

 blotches of brownish-black. These nests are often situated 

 within fifteen or twenty yards of each other, the respective 

 proprietors living in mutual friendship. 



While the females are sitting, their mates are either wad- 

 ing in the adjoining ponds, or traversing the marshes in the 

 vicinity ; but on the approach of any intruder in their peacea- 

 ble community, the whole troop assemble in the air, and 

 flying steadily with their long legs extended behind them, 

 keep up a continual yelping note of click, click, click. Alight- 

 ing on the marsh, they are often seen to drop their wings, 

 and standing with their legs half bent, and trembling, they 



