OrnUholofjii of (Vist Jutland. 341) 



We were informed that the Reeves had arrived at their 

 breeding-grounds about April 23rd, and tliat tlie Avocets 

 {Recurvirostra avocetta), which also were breeding here, had 

 arrived about a week earlier. The Terns do not arrive till 

 May. This hearsay evidence seemed to be correct, because 

 the Avocets had already fall clutches of eggs, while in most 

 cases the Reeves were still only laying. The Reeves were 

 breeding on the islets and promontory, as well as in suitable 

 places amongst the sandhills, but the Avocets appeared to 

 confine themselves entirely to the salt-grass. The Reeves 

 seemed to breed quite separately one from another; but it was 

 noticeable that the Avocets had a tendency to congregate, and 

 that they were nearly all breeding in two or three more or 

 less confined areas of ground. The Reeve invariably chooses 

 a tuft of long rough grass for its nest, which is deep and 

 always well concealed, whereas the nests of the Avocets were 

 merely such depressions as woidd be caused by the reposing 

 of the bird on the grass. Four is the usual complement of 

 eggs with both these species, but in many cases there were 

 only three, while one Avocet's nest contained five eggs. In 

 one instance a Redshank and Reeve had laid together in the 

 same nest. The Avocets cannot be said to be tame at their 

 nests ; they keep circling round, uttering a pretty liquid cry, 

 like '^ whick-whick,'' but they seldom come within shot, 

 though, with the aid of a stalking-horse, I was able to shoot 

 one specimen with a walking-stick gun. Besides the birds 

 already named. Dunlins and Peewits were breeding plentifully 

 on the salt-grass, and both Arctic and Common Terns were 

 here just beginning to lay, although, as already stated, on 

 the sea-coast none as yet had eggs. On the islets we Tound 

 many nests of Pintail [Dafila acuta) and Mallard [Anas hoscas), 

 and Sheld-Ducks were breeding amongst the sand-links. The 

 Pintails generally had eight or nine eggs, warmly ensconced 

 in down, and in every ease they were on the point of hatching. 

 The old Duck, in some eases, when disturbed from her eggs, 

 half flapped and half ran away over the ground, and in one 

 instance so rapid and peculiar was the motion that w^e 

 imagined for an instant some cjuadruped was trying to escape 



