AVOCET. 75 



black crown and nape. In Australia and New Zealand it is represented 

 by H. novcB-JwUaiid'ue, easily distinguished by its chestnut head. In the 

 temperate parts of the continent of North America it is represented by 

 H. americanus, which differs principally in having the head white in 

 winter^ ^vey in autumn, and dull chestnut in summer. In the Andes of 

 Peru it is represented by a more distantly allied species, H. andinus, 

 having a white head and uniform dark brown wings and tail. 



The Avocet arrives at its breeding-grounds in Western Europe in April, 

 departing late in August or early in September. It frequents sandy 

 coasts and extensive marshes, lagoons, and sand-banks. In the haunts it 

 selects it shows a similar choice to the Stilt, and many of its habits re- 

 semble those of that bird. Like that graceful species, it haunts the margins 

 of the water, running daintily along the wet shining sands, or exploring 

 the black mud-banks in the shallow lakes. It is a very conspicuous bird, 

 because the contrast of its plumage is so striking. It is not particularly 

 shy, but, if alarmed, will mount into the air, its long legs stretched out 

 behind in a line with its bill, and fly round and round, uttering its alarm- 

 note, which resembles the syllables tilt, tilt, til-it, til-it. On the wing 

 the Avocet has a very strange appearance, looking like a series of black 

 and white stripes. If one of the birds is wounded, its companions fly 

 round overhead, incessantly uttering their notes as if bewailing its fate. 

 At all seasons of the year the Avocet is sociable, and may be observed in 

 large or small parties. It is a very beautiful sight to watch a party of 

 these birds, when their nesting-grounds are invaded, daintily running 

 before you, their brilliant plumage contrasting strongly with the mud or 

 sand. Every now and then they run a little way with uplifted wings, 

 occasionally rising in the air and flying round your head, uttering their 

 anxious cries. The bird wades into water as deep as its belly, and will 

 even venture further, for it swims with ease, sitting lightly and gracefully 

 on the Avater. In the course of their wanderings over the mud-flats and 

 tide-washed sands they often swim a little distance across a stretch of 

 deep water, and, if pursued, will readily make use of their swimming- 

 powers to carry them out of danger. 



The food of the Avocet is captured principally on the mud and in 

 marshy places. It is chiefly composed of worms, small crustaceans, and 

 vast quantities of aquatic insects. This prey is searched for as the bird 

 moves its long slender recurved bill from side to side across the surface of 

 the sand or mud, or in the shallows. The Avocet never ajjpears to probe 

 into the soft ground with its bill, but always uses it in a side direction. 

 A small quantity of gravel is swallowed to aid digestion. Sometimes the 

 bird captures the small gnats and other insects as they flutter over the 

 water or flit by it on the land. 



The breeding-season of the Avocet commences in the first half of May 



