l8o THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



greenish black and its tail is greyish ; the rest of the plumage 

 is white faintly tinted in places with pink. The bill is black, 

 the legs pink, and the irides crimson. Young males, however, 

 breed before they have lost the last mark of immaturity, 

 blackish grey on the back of the head and neck. In the still 

 younger birds all the blacks are replaced by brown, and the 

 legs are brownish rather than pink. Length, 1 3*5 ins. Wing, 

 9*5 ins. Tarsus, 47 ins. 



Avocet. Recurvirostra avocetia (Linn.). 



The too conspicuous Avocet (Plate 74) is indeed a "lost 

 British bird," for a century ago it nested in some numbers in 

 the eastern counties from the H umber southward. Many of its 

 former European colonies have vanished before the advance in 

 "civilisation" — mainly the introduction and perfection of the 

 breechloader — but a few remain in Holland, Denmark, and 

 Spain. Its range is wide in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in 

 the more northerly portion the bird is a migrant. To England 

 it was a summer visitor, now it is a rare spring and autumn 

 migrant, and there are one or two records of birds in winter. 

 Some of the spring visitors might nest if allowed, but the bird 

 is slain whenever it is seen. For instance, a party of seven 

 were seen at St. Leonards, and within a few hours four were 

 taken to a taxidermist. Only where there is protection, as at 

 Breydon, are there many records of birds seen, but not shot. 

 On migration the Avocet has occurred in various places from 

 the Shetlands southward, but its most frequent visits are to its 

 old breeding haunts. 



So black and white a bird, with a unique uptilted bill, from 

 which its ancient local names, " Cobbler's-awl," and " Shoohing 

 borne" of Sir Thomas Browne, are derived, should be easy to 

 recognise. Yet Mr. A. H. Patterson says that when with 

 Black-headed Gulls it is not easy to distinguish, that on the 



