684 THE AMERICAN AVOCET. 



the return in Septenil)er. \n\\ ] Iia\e seen a few. ]>iissil)!y non-breeding I)irds, as 

 early as Jul}- i^tli; wiiile by August i st tliey are ni)l uncomnmn along tbe 

 western coast. Their haste is not unseemly; but the)' do not let the kelp grow 

 beneath tlu'ir feet, for they are due to winter in far Patagonia. 



No. 279. 



AMERICAN AVOCET. 



A. ( ). V. No. 2_'5. Recurvirostra americana (imel. 



Description. — .Idult in siiiiniicr: Head and neck all armind ami breast light 

 cinnamon rufous; e\ering white; region about base of bill whitish; wing-quills 

 and coverts (except iiuier secondaries and tips of greater coverts) deep brownish 

 black ; back, inner sca])ulars, and inner (luills, lighter lirownisb black ; remaining 

 plumage, including outer sca])ulars. lunip. tail. etc.. white: — tail tinged with ashy; 

 bill long, slightly recurved toward tip. black; legs dull blue. .Idult in tciiitcr: 

 Similar hut withnut cinnamon-rufous. — white instead; tinged with ])ale bluish 

 ash. especially on the tn]5 of head and hind-neck. I iiiiiiatiirc: Ivike winter adult, 

 but hind neck touched with rufous ; scapulars, etc.. buft'y-tipited. or mottled ; wing- 

 quills tipped witli whitish. Length 16.00-19.00 (406.4-482.6); wing S.82 (2241; 

 tail 3.90 (99.1 ) ; bill _^.J2 (94.5) ; tarsus 3.66 (i;' I. 



Recognition Marks. — Crow size; long legs; black and white and cinnamon- 

 rufous in masses; long, slightly or strongly uptmaied bill. 



Nesting. — Nest: a slight platform of weathered reeds or plant-stems on 

 damp ground in or near a swamp. Ei/i/s: 3-3, usually 4. pale oli\e or olivc-buff, 

 heavily and rather mhforml)- spotted with chocolate-lirown and lilack. Av. size, 

 1.95x1.35 (49.5x34.3). Srasoii: Ma\- 10-20; one blood. 



General Range. — Temiierate North .\merica north to the Saskatchewan and 

 Creat Slave Lake: in winter south to (Uiatemala and the W'est Indies. Rare in 

 the eastern Liiiited States. 



Range in Washington. — Summer resident in lake region of eastern Wash- 

 ington ; elsewhere rare or casual during migrations. 



Authorities. — Cooper and Siickle\-, l\ei>. I'ac. R. R. Surv., \'ol. Xll.. 1866, 

 p. 234. T. 



Specimens. — P'. C. 



N.\Tl'l\lC ne\'er made amthiiig altogether awkward, luen stilts and 

 chop-sticks are graceful when fashioned in tlie great workshop. The chop- 

 sticks, in this case, are delicately curxed and skillfully handled : w bile the stilts 

 support their owner most jauntily at a height oi se\-en or eight inches above 

 the ground. These uni(|ue inipleiiients belong to a soft-])luniaged, do\e-eyecl 

 creature, wdiich the ])ioneers knew- w'ell but whicli is now almost extinct 

 within our borders, the American A\-ocet. 



