A DICTIONARY OF BRITISH 

 CAGE BIRDS. 



THE HEDGE ACCENTOR. See Hedge Sparrow. 



AQUATIC FOWL. 



Of these many species are susceptible of domestication, 

 or semi-domestication, and form very attractive additions 

 to a collection, but as they are mostly of large size they 

 require ample accommodation and strict attention to keep 

 them in presentable form. For information see under 

 specific heads. 



THE ARCTIC TERN. See under Terns. 



THE AVOCET. 



A bird seldom met with nowadays in this country, where 

 once it was fairly common. It is a migratory species, 

 arriving in spring and departing again in the early autumn. 

 During its stay here it frequents the coast, preferring those 

 parts that are muddy. It swims, walks and flies very 

 gracefully and has full use of its curiously curved bill, 

 for the possession of which it was the fashion among 

 naturahsts of a by-gone generation to bestow upon it a 

 vast and most unnecessary amount of pity. 



Like the coast Plovers it feeds on marine insects, crus- 



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