BLACK-WINGED STILT. 679 



picturesque appearance as they ran along the margin, and 

 knee-deep in the shallows of the stream, added greatly to 

 the beauty of the scene. They ran about with great cele- 

 rity, displaying many graceful, lively actions, and were 

 feeding entirely on insects and small-shelled snails." 



My own specimen, from which the figure and description 

 here given were derived, was obtained in the London market 

 in July, 1824, and was sent up for sale from Lincolnshire ; 

 while this bird was in the hands of Mr. Leadbeater for 

 preservation, another was received from Norfolk. In the 

 intestines of this last specimen, which I examined, was a 

 species of tape-worm, six inches in length, broad, flat, and 

 jointed. J. H. Gurney, Esq. and Mr. W. R. Fisher have 

 each noticed a specimen killed at Yarmouth, in May, 1842. 



Interesting accounts of an American Stilt, with a black 

 neck, will be found in the works of Wilson, Mr. J. J. 

 Audubon, and Dr. Nuttall, with which, in its habits, the 

 European species most likely agrees. Our bird appears to 

 prefer the margins of lakes rather than the sides of rivers. 

 Its food consists of aquatic insects. It lays four eggs, 

 which have been figured by Dr. Thieriemann, and are 

 represented of a pale blue colour, blotched and spotted 

 with ash green and dark brown; one inch nine lines in 

 length, by one inch three lines in breadth. The egg of 

 this bird, as figured by Mr. Hewitson, and on good 

 authority, is very different. It is of a rich bufiy stone 

 colour, with numerous large and small spots of brownish 

 black. 



M. Temminck says this bird is never seen in Holland, 

 but has been taken in Germany. M. Vieillot does not in- 

 clude it in his Birds of France. White of Selborne ,says 

 that a most accurate observer. of nature assured him that 

 he had found it on the banks of the streams in Andalusia. 

 It is seen on its passage at Genoa and Italy in spring, and 



