688 THE A.MI'.RK'AX A\nCET. 



does not dabble ai ranilnni, Ijut sees and snalehes its prev Irdin the surface of 

 the water willi great agility, assisting the passage of the nmrsel down the long 

 bill by a quick forward thrust of the head. In advancing, the legs are with- 

 drawn rapidly along the line of the tarsus, with folded or collapsed foot, and 

 thrust forward again in such fasliiun as least to disturb the ooze nf the bottmii. 



As is not, periiaps, so generally known, the A\'ocet is also a ready diver, 

 or, more accurately, dabbler, since it feeds from the surface of the water 

 with the tipping motiim cliaracteristic of some of the ducks. In this operation, 

 the legs are not at all exposed, but only the tail and the rump, the legs being 

 evidently required under water to maintain the vertical position. In dabbling, 

 the birds must depend more or less upon the sensitiveness of the bill, for the 

 water Ijeconies too much disturbed for vision. The confidence in strangers 

 sometimes exhibited by these birds in carrying on their diving operations is 

 \erv flattering; and one only wishes that it had been uniformly deserved diu"- 

 ing the vears which have so sadly reduced their numbers. 



A\ocets are rather noisy when disturbed or tin-eatened. but are not es- 

 peciallv so at other times. Their notes consist chiefly cif simple shrill cries, 

 neither very musical nor yet strident, "ciick-crick-crick-crick" or crcck-crcck — 

 something, in fact, after the order of the Curlews, with many excited quaver- 

 ings beside. 



It is, however, wlien its nest is threatened that the bird displays its utmost 

 charms. It is anxious at the outset to distract attention, even before discovery 

 of the eggs is certain: anil as one pokes about in a flat-bottomed boat or canoe, 

 a half dozen of them at once may be seen hoisting signals of distress, and in- 

 viting jiursuit. One example may suffice. \\'ith splendid light and well 

 e(jtiippe(l for iihotogr;qihic a]ipreciation, we |)ut the canoe against a tiny reef 

 u]K)n which we saw a nest with three eggs. The mother bird had fiushed at a 

 hundred vards, but seeing our positicm she flew toward us and dropped into 

 the water some fiftv feet away. Here she lifted a bl;ick wing in simulation of 

 maimed stiffness, and flo]>ped and floundered away with the aid of the other 

 one. Seeing that the ruse failed, she \entured nearer and re])eated the experi- 

 ment, li fting now i me wing and w iw In ith in ti iken of utter hel|)Iessness. .After 

 a while the male joined iier, and we had the ])ainful spectacle of a crippled 

 family, whose members were uttering most doleful cries of distress, necessi- 

 tated ap])arentlv b\- their numerous aches and breaks. 



Once, for experiment's sake, we followed, and the waders flopped along 

 in manifest delight coaxing us up on shore and making oft' thru the sage-brush 

 with broken legs and useless wings. But we came back, finding it better to let 

 the birds make the advances. Mr. P.owles hit upon the .scheme of splashing 

 gently in the water, and it scr\ed admiralily to excite the liirds and make them 

 reckless; and the click, did; t)f the camera was sweeter music in our ears than 

 the e.xplosion of death-dealing cartridges before a band of elk. 



