BLACK-WINGED STILT. 307 



ninth of June, 1822, I was returning in the evening from 

 fishing upon Hicldiug Broad, when a hird of this species flew 

 past the hoat within thirty yards. The legs were extended 

 behind, even more in proportion than those of a Heron ; the 

 wings were much arched ; the flight vigorous and regular ; 

 the colour and the length of limb made me guess what it 

 must be. I asked the fen-man who was with me what he 

 guessed it to be. He considered it a Ruff which had been 

 caught, as is sometimes the case in our marshes, by a horse- 

 hair snare, and had broken away with it. When I told him 

 that I believed it to be a very rare and valuable bird, 

 he wished to go in immediate pursuit ; but I overruled that, 

 as there was not more than half an hour's light remaining, 

 and the bird, if shot at ineffectually, might leave the country 

 in the night. We searched for it early the next morning, 

 and found it precisely in the same place as the evening 

 before. When shot, it was standing in a shallow pool of 

 water, mid-leg deep, apparently snapping at insects in the 

 air as they buzzed round it. Since then a pair was shot by 

 Mr. Salmon, at Stoke Ferry, in the spring of 1826 ; the 

 female had eggs within her in a forward state ; one of these 

 last was in the collection of the late Mr. Lombe." 



About eight other examples have occurred in that county, 

 and having been recorded in detail by Mr. Stevenson it 

 is unnecessary to say more than that with one exception 

 they were all obtained in May, June, and July, whereas 

 several of those above mentioned visited England in winter. 

 The Black-winged Stilt has also occurred in Suffolk, and, 

 probably, in some other counties not specially enumerated ; 

 and the Author's specimen from which the figure and 

 description here given were derived, was obtained in the 

 London market in July, 1824, and was sent up for sale 

 from Lincolnshire. In the intestines of a Norfolk bird 

 killed about the same time, was a species of tape-worm, six 

 inches in length, broad, flat, and jointed. Mr. W, E. 

 Clarke says that two were obtained near Beverley, in York- 

 shire, many years ago. 



In Ireland Thompson says that one was seen by the late 



