AVOCET. 675 



M. Nilsson states that this bird visits Sweden but rarely, 

 yet it is said to breed in Holstein, and the eggs are occa- 

 sionally brought to this country for sale by dealers from 

 Hamburgh. M. Temminck says that the Avocet is abun- 

 dant in the North of Holland, but is more rare on the coast, 

 and is seen at the periods of its migrations in Provence, 

 Switzerland, Italy, Corfu, and Sicily. It probably inhabits 

 great part of Africa, since Dr. Andrew Smith has found it 

 as far south as the Cape of Good Hope ; it is found also in 

 Egypt and at Smyrna. M. Hohenacker includes it among 

 the birds seen between the Black and the Caspian Seas ; 

 and Mr. Selby mentions as a locality for it the salt lakes of 

 Tartary. Our bird is also found in Nepal and Calcutta. 



The specimen from which the figure and description here 

 inserted were taken, was obtained in the London market in 

 the spring of 1814. The beak, black, about three inches 

 and a half in length, has very much the appearance of two 

 thin flat pieces of whalebone coming to a point and curving 

 upwards ; the irides reddish brown ; top of the head, occi- 

 put, nape, and back of the neck, black ; interscapulars and 

 upper part of the back, white ; scapulars, lesser wing- 

 coverts, and the wing-primaries, black; all the other parts 

 of the plumage pure white ; legs and toes pale blue. 



The whole length is nearly eighteen inches. From the 

 carpal joint to the end of the wing, eight inches and a half; 

 the first quill-feather the longest in the wing. 



In young birds of the year the dark-coloured parts of 

 the plumage are tinged with brown; the scapulars edged 

 with reddish brown. During the second year, till the 

 autumn moult, some of the elongated dark feathers are 

 still reddish brown at the end. 



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