DESCRIPTION, DISTRIBUTION, HABITS 



Distribution. — The coasts and tidal rivers of South Africa. 

 It is occasionally seen inland on the shores of streams and 

 ponds. The avocet also occurs throughout Africa, Mada- 

 gascar, Central and Southern Europe, and Asia in suitable 

 localities. 



Habits. — This bird associates in small flocks, and is wary 

 and timid. It frequents the muddy edges of lagoons, the 

 mouths of tidal rivers, etc., and feeds on small Crustacea and 

 worms which it finds in the mud bv sweeping its peculiar 

 upturned bill with a sideway scooping movement. It nests 

 in hummocks in marshy ground. Eggs, 4 in number, pale 

 buff, often greenish, spotted and scrolled with black or dark 

 brown ; shadow spots purplish. Pyriform and pointed in 

 shape. Size, 2.0 by 1.45. 



Greenshank {Totanus glottis). (Vol. II., p. 303.) 



Description. — Ashy-brown, blackish and white as in the 

 illustration. In the breeding season the back has a ruddy- 

 brown tinge, and the breast is spotted with black. Iris dark 

 brown. Beak black, and greenish-brown at the base. Legs 

 and feet grey-green. 



Length, 13.5 ; tail, 3.1 ; wing, 7.3. 



Distribution. — The seacoast, and edges of rivers, ponds, 

 and marshes all over South Africa. The greenshank is 

 migratory, and travels from Europe and Asia to Australia and 

 through Africa. 



Habits. — The greenshank, on the approach of winter, 

 migrates from Europe and Asia to the southern hemisphere. 

 It appears in South Africa in the warm season when food is 

 plentiful, and vanishes on the approach of winter. They 

 associate in flocks and frequent the margins of rivers, lagoons, 

 marshes, and seacoasts, and may be seen wading in the 

 shallow water in search of tiny fish, Crustacea, worms, etc. 

 There is no record of the greenshank breeding in South 

 Africa. 



VOL. II. 193 13 



