BLACK-WINGED STILT 257 
There are not many records from Scotland :—Dumfries, 
Perthshire, the vicinity of the Clyde near Glasgow, Aber- 
deen, the Orkneys and Shetlands, have yielded specimens. 
There are six records trom Iveland, none of recent date. 
The following counties have been visited :—Kerry, Cork, 
Westmeath, Limerick, Dublin, and Mayo. The earliest 
recorded occurrence took place in Cork in the winter of 
1823 or 1824. There have been no records during the latter 
half of the last century. 
Food.—The Black-winged Stilt feeds largely on insects, 
chiefly gnats and aquatic beetles. It may be seen standing 
in W ater (almost sufficiently deep to cover its long legs and 
feet), watching for flies, at which it snaps as they buzz 
around (Jardine). 
Voice-—The bird utters a clear note resembling the 
syllables pee-pee-pee-pee. In the breeding-season it may 
be heard in the vicinity of its nest, making a sound like 
gnreet, gnreet, gnréét, gnréet, sharply repeated. (Saunders). 
Nest.—This species usually builds by the margins of 
pools or lakes. The nest, in some instances, is a “simple 
structure made of scanty herbage, and placed in a tuft of 
rushes or grass, but on wet, muddy soil the bird banks up 
ils nest to prevent the eggs from getting damp. These, 
four in number, are described by Mr. Saunders as “of 
a warm stone-colour with hieroglyphic-like scrollings and 
blotches of black.” 
Geographical distribution.—This Stilt breeds sparingly 
in Hungary, and abundantly in Southern Spain, in Sicily, 
and on the shores of the Black, Caspian, and Aral Seas. 
Kastward it is found nesting in Temperate and Southern 
Asia as far as India and Ceylon. In parts of the North 
of Africa it is also a common breeding-species. On migra-_ 
tion in winter it visits Southern Africa and Madagascar, 
while stragglers wander northward at irregular intervals 
to many countries of Central Europe. 
DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 
PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial.—Back, scapulars, and 
wings, rather glossy greenish-black ; tail, shaded grey; rest 
of plumage, white. 
Adult female nuptial.—Similar to the male plumage, 
except that the feathers of the back and wings are dark 
dusky-brown. 
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