1 86 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



black of the head is confined to the crown, not reaching beyond 

 the nape ; some specimens, probably young ones, have a good 

 deal of brown mixed with the black of the upper-parts. The 

 tail is light grey in winter, and becomes pure white in 

 summer. 



Nestling. Ashy-grey, slightly mottled with dusky bars ; on the 

 sides of the mantle two incomplete streaks of black ; a black 

 streak on the middle of the rump and a black line extending 

 along the sides of the body across the base of the tail ; minor 

 black markings are seen upon the head and on the wings ; under 

 surface of body yellowish-white. 



Range in Great Britain. The Avocet is now only a rare visitor 

 to England, in spring and autumn, but it used to nest in former 

 times in many parts of England, especially in the Humber 

 district and on the coasts of Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, and Sussex, 

 but it has not been known to breed, according to Mr. Howard 

 Saunders, since the year 1824. It has never been more than 

 a casual visitor to Scotland, Ireland, or the West of England. 



Range outside the British Islands. Although in many of the 

 northern countries of Europe the Avocet has disappeared as a 

 breeding bird as it has done in England, there are many places 

 where it nests in localities suited to its habits. Thus on the 

 shores of the Baltic, the Frisian Islands, and in Holland, the 

 eggs may still be found; as well as on the deltas of the Rhone 

 and Guadalquivir. Throughout the countries of the Mediterra- 

 nean the bird is resident in suitable districts, becoming more 

 abundant in Southern Russia and the Caspian to Central Asia, 

 and thence to Dauria and Mongolia. It is also distributed 

 from Egypt to Southern Africa, and breeds in many places. In 

 winter the Avocet visits China and the Indian Peninsula. 



Habits. The present species is a very handsome bird, and 

 when a company is feeding together, or wheeling in flight, their 

 black-and-white plumage renders them very conspicuous. Mr. 

 Seebohmsays that, on the wing, flocks have a strange appearance, 

 looking like a series of black and white stripes. " Like the 

 Stilt," he writes, " the Avocet haunts the margins of the water, 

 running daintily along the wet shining sands, or exploring the 

 black mud-banks in the shallow lakes. It is not particularly 

 shy, but, if alarmed, will mount into the air, its long legs 



