THE SHORE BIRDS. 203 



coast at certain seasons, but are far less so at the 

 present time. They are not mentioned by Warren 

 as a bird of Pennsylvania, yet specimens have been 

 killed on the shores of the Delaware within the boun- 

 daries of that State. 



While a strictly shore bird in the Middle States, 

 they are very abundant on the Western plains and in 

 the States bordering on the Mississippi. Dr. Coues 

 has given an excellent account of them as seen in the 

 far West. 



The Stilt, or Black-necked Stilt, is another curious 

 bird, in that its legs seem rather too long for the 

 bird's comfort, but they have never appeared to be a 

 real hinderance, and, as has been stated, " as waders 

 they are a great success." At present they are much 

 more abundant in the West the far West than along 

 our Atlantic seaboard, except in Florida. This was 

 probably not true of the bird originally, for the 

 gradual disappearance only commenced about the 

 beginning of the present century. 



Of these birds, Dr. Coues remarks as follows : 



" Avocets and Stilts correspond with each other in habits as closely 

 as they do in form. One of the most marked physical differences is 

 found in the structure of the feet. Avocets have a hind toe, which 

 the Stilts have not, and their feet are almost completely webbed, so 

 that they are among the best swimmers of the long-legged fraternity. 

 Stilts, on the contrary, scarcely swim at all, and never except on an 

 emergency. When the Avocets are wading about, it often happens 

 that they get beyond their depth, when, instead of rising on wing, 

 they keep on as if nothing had happened to take them off their feet." 



The Woodcock is so highly prized as a dainty 

 morsel, and is so persistently pursued in season by 



