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Bird- Lore 



their heads to and fro sideways, while their bill is passing through the soft 

 mud; and in many instances, when the water was deeper, they would immerse 

 their whole head and a portion of the neck, as the Spoonbill and Red-breasted 

 Snipe are wont to do. When, on the contrary, they pursued aquatic insects, 

 such as swim on the surface, they ran after them, and, on getting up to them, 

 suddently seized them by thrusting the lower mandible beneath them, while 

 the other was raised a good way above the surface, much in the manner of 

 the Black Shear-water [Black Skimmer], which, however, performs this act 

 on wing. They were also expert at catching flying insects, after which they 

 ran with partially expanded wings. 



NEST AND EGGS OF THE AVOCET 

 Photographed by H. T. Bohlman and W. L. Finley 



"I watched them as they were thus engaged about an hour,|when they all 

 flew to the islets where the females were, emitting louder notes than usual. 

 The different pairs seemed to congratulate each other, using various curious 

 gestures; and presently those which had been sitting left the task to their 

 mates and betook themselves to the water, when they washed, shook their 

 wings and tail, as if either heated, or tormented by insects, and then proceeded 

 to search for food in the manner above described. Now, reader, wait a few 

 moments until I eat my humble breakfast." 



It is worth noting that the Avocets described by Audubon had their summer 

 home in Indiana. In the early part of the nineteenth century the species was 

 more or less common along the Atlantic coast. Alexander Wilson, the orni- 

 thologist, found them breeding on the salt marshes of New Jersey, and per- 

 haps southward. 



In examining the published lists of birds for the various states east of the 

 Mississippi, it is quite common today to find mention made of these birds as 



