BLACK-NECKED STILT 
226. Himantopus mexicanus. 15 in. 
Legs extremely long, and bright red; neck and bill 
moderately long and slender. Male black and white 
as shown; female and young with the back brownish. 
These very long-legged creatures are found in suitable 
places west of the Mississippi River, and are especially 
abundant in southern California. Stilts are poor swim- 
mers, but habitually feed in comparatively deep water, 
that is up to their bodies, their whole head, neck and 
upper parts of the body often being submerged while 
thus engaged. They are strong and swift on the wing, 
twisting as they fly, so as to alternately show their 
black upper parts, then the white surfaces beneath; this 
is a habit that is common to several varieties of shore 
birds. 
Nest.—On the ground as usual; eggs greenish-buff, 
spotted with black (1.80x 1.25); May, June. 
Range.—Breeds in the Gulf states and southern Cali- 
fornia, north to Dakota; winters south of U. 8., except 
in southern California. Rare on the Atlantic coast. 
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