BRITISH BIRDS. 155 



AVOCET. — The long, thin, narrow, upward curving bill is 

 black ; so is the top of the head, as well as the back of the 

 neck, wing coverts, flights, and inner secondaries and 

 tertiaries ; the remaining parts are white. The long legs 

 and webbed feet are green. 



At one time of frequent occurrence, it is now very rare 

 indeed in Britain, the few individuals that straggle over in 

 spring being immediately shot, so that probably not a 

 single one survives to take its departure in September. 

 Length, 1 foot inches, Sh of which belong to the bill. 



The female is a little less, but in every other respect she 

 closely resembles the male. 



The food is similar to that of the species belonging to 

 the last family, or rather to that of the turnstone, which it 

 also imitates in its choice of feeding grounds, namely, the 

 seashore. 



Woodcock. — The general colour of this bird is chestnut 

 brown, darker above than below, mottled with various 

 shades of black, light grey, and buff. The bill is long, and 

 the eye placed very far back in the head ; it is large, and 

 of a grey colour ; the legs and feet are yellowish brown. 

 The tail is very short, and the general figure of the bird 

 plump. Length, various ; some specimens, 1 foot ^ inch to 

 1 foot 3 or 3^ inches ; the weight is equally uncertain, 

 ranging from 7 ounces to 1.5 ounces, the female being 

 rather larger than the male. 



It is, generally speaking, migratory in the British Isles ; 

 but a few pairs remain to breed in suitable localities. 



The food consists of worms and insects ; the former are 

 obtained by boring into the soft ground in the vicinity of 

 water. 



The nest is built in plantations and copses near the root 

 of a tree ; it is loosely constructed of leaves and grass, and 

 the eggs are, as a rule, four in number; the colour is pale 



