GENUS 85. RECURVIR08TRA. AVOSET. 



SPECIES I. R. tfMERICANrf. 



AMERICAN AVOSET. 



[Plate LXIIL Fig. 2.] 



A ret. Zool. JVo. 421. LATH. %n. v. in, p. 295, ,/Vo. 2. PE ALE'S 

 Museum, JVo. 4250. 



THIS species, from its perpetual clamour, and flippancy of 

 tongue, is called by the inhabitants of Cape May, the Lawyer; 

 the comparison, however, reaches no farther: for our Lawyer is 

 simple, timid, and perfectly inoffensive. 



In describing the Long-legged Avoset of this volume, the 

 similarity between that and the present was taken notice of. 

 This resemblance extends to every thing but their colour. I 

 found both these birds associated together in the salt marshes 

 of New Jersey, on the twentieth of May. They were then 

 breeding. Individuals of the present species were few in respect 

 to the other. They flew around the shallow pools, exactly in 

 the manner of the Long-legs, uttering the like sharp note of 

 click click click, alighting on the marsh, or in the water, in- 

 discriminately, fluttering their loose wings, and shaking their 

 half-bent legs, as if ready to tumble over, keeping up a continual 

 yelping note. They were, however, rather more shy, and kept 

 at a greater distance. One which I wounded, attempted repeat- 

 edly to dive; but the water was too shallow to permit him to do 

 this with facility. The nest was built among the thick tufts of 

 grass, at a small distance from one of these pools. It was com- 

 posed of small twigs, of a sea-side shrub, dry grass, sea weed, 

 &c. , raised to the height of several inches, The eggs were four, 

 of a dull olive colour, marked with large irregular blotches of 

 black, and with others of a fainter tint. 



