THE AYOCET 419 



of slender-billed gulls and Caspian terns. Here, as no lining material 

 was available, the nests were mere hollows in the fine shingle. The 

 eggs are not laid on consecutive days, but with an interval of one or 

 two days, and incubation begins before the clutch is complete. It is 

 a pretty sight to watch a sitting bird returning to its nest, when it 

 fancies itself watched, walking with head down and a peculiar 

 crouching gait, and the same attitude is adopted when leaving the 

 nest. 



For some twenty-four days both parents share the duties of 

 incubation. Both cock and hen bird have a double brooding spot, 

 and show equal zeal in driving away all intruders from the nest. 

 When first hatched, the young probably remain in the nest till their 

 down is thoroughly dry, and then leave it altogether. They are most 

 attractive little creatures, and it is noteworthy that at first, in 

 specimens hatched in the Zoological Gardens, the beak only showed 

 a very slight upward tilt, and was short, straight, and utterly different 

 in shape to that of the old birds. At this age they were able to pick 

 up food by direct pecking, a method rarely resorted to by adult birds 

 in a wild state. When only a week old the young bird was observed 

 by one of the keepers at the Zoological Gardens to skim floating 

 particles off the surface of the water l after the manner of its parents, 

 although at the time its beak was practically straight. 2 



Another very interesting point which was observed in the 

 Zoological Gardens, is the method in which the nestlings are 



1 R. I. Pocock, Aricultural Magazine, vol. v. (Xew Series) p. 261. 



2 It is possible that the upward curve in the bill shows itself more distinctly in the dry 

 skin than in the living bird. Blasius, in the new edition of Naumann (vol. v. p. 142), states that 

 he has examined specimens of young in down from various collections, about six to ten days 

 old and upwards. Yet he acquiesces in Xaumann's description of the bill of the young bird in 

 the down as being bent strongly upwards, though quite soft and very small. Dresser also 

 states that he has handled young only a day or two old, which had the bill nearly as much 

 curved as in the old bird. On the other hand, we have the indisputable evidence of Mr. Pocock 

 on the neAvly hatched young in the Zoological Gardens, and his statement that eleven days 

 afterwards, though the bill seemed to be a little longer, he was unable to satisfy himself that 

 there was any definite upward curvature as yet. W. Farren was of the same opinion. Many 

 years ago Dr. Cullen, writing from the Dobrogea, asserted that the bill of the young in down 

 was quite straight, but it was supposed by many people that he had confused the young of the 

 stilt with those of the avocet. Messrs. E. M. Murray and F. R. Ratcliff, who have examined 

 recently hatched living wild birds, agree in stating that the bill is straight at first. 



