recurvirostridjE: avocets. stilts. 



'91 



Flo. 543. — Avocet. 



is as Hexible as the bones of a woman's corsets ; it acquires its full curvature only in old 

 birds, who have poked in the mud with it for years. Adult ^ <^ , \n winter: Head and neck 

 ashy or pearl-gray, like tail ; this has been called R. occidentalis ; afterward considered the 

 young. Young : Head and neck strongly washed 

 with cinnamon-brown ; rusty or tawny edgings of 

 black feathers ; bill straight or nearly so. I have 

 shot scarcely fledged birds in this state, in which 

 the shank is also peculiarly swollen about the 

 suffrago, suggesting the so-called Thick-knee 

 ((Edicnemus). U. S. and British Provinces; 

 N. in the interior to tlie Saskatchewan and Mac- 

 kenzie River regions ; S. in winter from Louisiana, 

 Texas, and southern California to Cuba, Jamaica, 

 and Guatemala; rare now in eastern U. S. and 

 only casual in New England. Abounding in 

 the West, especially in alkaline regions, as 

 those of the Yellowstone and Milk River, Utah, 

 etc. Its appearance is striking, as might be 

 supposed ; its clamor is incessant when breed- 

 ing-places are invaded. It is not a wary bird, 

 and may easily be approached when wading 

 about in small flocks in the shallow alkaline pools it loves so well. Feeds by immersing 

 the head and neck for some moments whilst probing about with the curious bill in soft 

 slimy ooze. On getting beyond its depth, it swims with perfect ease, and often alights from 

 on wing in deep water. The bird is migratory, but breeds througliout its regular X. Ain. 



,,, range. Eggs 3-4, as variable in 



,.r size, shape, and markings as the 



parents; 1.80-2.10 X 1.25-1.45; 



,,j,^^> - ground color from dark olive to 



brownish -drab, thence to creamy- 

 brown or buff, like those of Shang- 

 hai fowls ; pretty uniformly and 

 profusely marked with small sharp 

 spots of different shades of choco- 

 late-brown, with neutral-tint shell- 

 markings; on buff eggs u.sually 

 .smalk'st and most numcmus, bolder 

 on I'live ones. 



IIIMAX'TOPUS. {Gr. ifiayrimovs, 

 liimantopous, strap-leg. Figs. 

 .■)47, 54H.) Sni/ns. Hill ex- 

 tremely slender, but unt tlattencd, 

 nor turned up, nor honked; longer 

 than heail, ratlier shorter than tar- 

 sus. Wing long ami pointed, fold- 

 iui,' beyond tlie short and scpiare tail, whidi is less than half the wing. Legs of unitpie length 

 and sleiiderness, the hare part about as long as wing ; tibije denuded for a great distance; l.ir- 

 sus more than twice ;is lonj; as midiile too. Feet .'l-toed, somipalmate ; but the .«pecie."< scarcely 

 swim. Sexes similar ; young ditlerent. Species few ; tlie extraliniital ones are //. hiiHinitoitns 

 of Europe, A.xia, ami -\frica; //. Iniaicfplinhts of .\u.stralia; If. jtioilu.i nf Sow Zeulauil und iho 



Fii.. .~<il. .Viuuiiciii Avuout. tKi'uui Suuliuliiii'tt Cbaradriidic.) 



