14 WADING BIRDS. 



watched with the usual solicitude of parental affection, and 

 on the least alarm, the male starts off with a loud scream, 

 while the female, if present, to avoid the discovery of her 

 charge, runs out some distance previous to taking wing. 

 The young, as soon as released from the shell, follow the 

 guiding call of the mother, and on any imminent danger 

 threatening, instinctively squat on the sand, when from 

 the similarity of their color, it is nearly impossible to dis- 

 cover their artless retreat. On these occasions, the pa- 

 rents make wide circuits on either hand, now and then 

 alighting, and practising the usual stratagem of counterfeited 

 imbecility, to draw away attention from their brood. The 

 note of this species consists commonly of a quick, loud, and 

 shrill whistling call like hcheepj ^ivheep, wJieo^ or peep, peep, 

 often reiterated, as well at rest as while on the wing. 



While migrating, they keep together in lines like a mar- 

 shalled troop, and however disturbed by the sportsman, they 

 still continue to maintain their ranks. At a later period, the 

 flock will often rise, descend, and wheel about with great 

 regularity, at the same time bringing the brilliant white of 

 their wings into conspicuous display. When wounded, and 

 at other times, according to Baillon, they betake themselves 

 to the water, on which they repose, and swim and dive with 

 celerity. They have sometimes also been brought up and 

 tamed so as to associate familiarly with ducks and other 

 poultry. 



The length of this species is about 18 inches, the alar admeasure- 

 ment 35. The bill from 3| to 3| inches long, and of a very lively 

 orange ; orbits of the same color. Iris bright yellow. Beneath tlie 

 eye a small spot of white, and a large bed of the same on the wing- 

 coverts. Head, neck, scapulars, rump, quills, and tail, black ; several 

 of the primaries are marked on their outer vanes with a slanting 

 band of white. Secondaries white, part of them tipt with black. 

 The whole lower part of the body, sides of the rump, tail-coverts, 

 and that portion of the tail which they cover, pure white. The 



