IltJIVNTJPUS. — RECURVIROSTIIA. 35 



The eggs of the North-.lmericaii Stilt are rather larger than 

 those of the Common Stilt, bat do not otherwise differ from them. 

 They measure from I-? to 1-9 in length, and from 1"1S to 1'26 iu 

 breadfh. 



1. North Aiueriea (Sniit/is. Iii4.). Salviii-frodman Coll. 



1. North America (/TprtsAaiu Coll.). Salvin-Godiuan Coll. 



1. Utnh {Henshaw Coll.). Sdviu-Godram Coll. 



4. Wa^lioe Lake, Nevada (//. JF. Hen- Salvin-Cidman Coll. 

 .■<kiiw). 



Himantopus melas, //. cj- J. 



Himantopus melas, Potts, Trans. New Zeal. Ind. ii. p. 70 (1869) ; 



Seehohm, Geof/r. Distr. Chararlriidm, p. :i85 (1887); Sharpe, Cat. 



Birds B. M. -Yxiv. p. ;^23 (1898); Id. Hanl-l. i. p. 156 (1899). 

 Himantopus novje-zealandife, Hartim/, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 4o9, pi. Is. 



fig. 10; Buller, Birds New Zeal. 2nd ed. ii. p. 24 (1888). 



The eggs of the Black Stilt in the CoUectioa resemble very closely 

 those of the Common Stilt and the New-Zealand Pied Stilt. As 

 ])ointed out, however, by ^r. Harting {I. c), the markings on the 

 eggs of the present species are more streaky than is the case with 

 those on the eggs of the other species of this genus, but whether 

 this character is constant it is impossible to saj' at present. Three 

 specimens measure respectively: 1*7 by 1-26 ; 18 by 1'22; 1-8 

 by 1-22. 



3. Otago River, New Zealand, ]4th Seebohm Coll. 



Uet. (J.Ii. Cook: Hartiny Coll.). 



Genus RECURVIROSTRA, Linn. 



Recurvirostra avocetta, TAnn. 



liecurvlrostra avocetta, Thien. Fortpjlnnz. qes. Vm/. tab. l.wi. fig. 2,«-/< 

 (1845-54); Baedeker, Eier Eur. Viig. tab." 5. fig. 3 (1855-63); 

 Hewitson, Eggs of Brit. Birds, ii. p. 339, pi. xcii. fig. ii (1856); 

 Snlvin, Ibis, 1859, p. 359 ; Dresser, Birds Eur. vii. p. 577 (1875) ; 

 SharjK, ed. Lai/ard, Birds <S'. Africa, p. 673 (1875-84) ; Lrgge, 

 Birds Ceyl. p. 925 (1880) ; Pogiiting, Eggs of Brit. Birds, p. 79, 

 pi. 10 (1895-6) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. xxlv. p. 326 (1896) ; id. 

 Hand-l. i. p. 157 (1899). 



Himantopus avocetta, Seehohm, Brit. Birds, iii. p. 74, pi. 24 (1885) ; id. 

 Geof/r. D'str. Charadriidfe, p. 289 (1887) ; id. E(jqs of Brit. Birds, 

 p. 129, pi. 38. figs. 2, 5 (189t)). 



The eggs of the Common Avocct are mostly pyriform, and manj' 

 eggs have a slight amount of gloss. They are very uniform, being 

 of a buff colour, spotted and blotched with dark brown or black, 

 and underlying pale purple. On some examples the markings are 

 small ; on others, coarse and blotchy. The eggs are very much 

 larger than those of the Common Stilt, but otherwise they resemble 

 them closely. They measure from 1-7 to 2-15 in length, and from 

 1'25 to r4.") in breadth. 



d2 



