386 ORALLY. RECURVIROSTRAD^E. 



FAM. RECURVIROSTRAD^E. (The Avocets.) 



ROSEATE STILT.* 

 Himantopus nigricollis. 



Recurvirostra himantopus, WILS. Aud. pi. 328. 

 Himantopus nigricollis^ VIEILL. 



THIS beautiful and singular bird first fell under 

 my observation in December. It was wading in 

 the water of Crab-pond, picking from the mud 

 at the bottom, with the beak, the water reaching 

 not quite half-way up the tarsus. It did not feel 

 with the beak in the manner of the Snipe, but 

 struck at the prey that caught its eye, as it walked 

 with the head erect. The statement of Cuvier 

 that walking is painful to this bird, is as con- 

 trary to fact as to reason. This specimen was walk- 

 ing in the shallow firmly enough; and even when 

 shot in one leg so as to break it, it stood for some 

 time on the other in a firm erect attitude, the 

 broken limb being held up and dangling. 



Three were shot at Bluefields Creek on the 1st 

 of May, in the evening, out of a large flock that 

 were wading on the little bar at the mouth, 

 and were brought to me. One which had the 

 wing broken was alive, and otherwise unhurt. It 



* Length 14 inches, expanse 26f, flexure 8, tail 2-^, rictus 2-j^, 

 naked tibia 3, tarsus 4, middle toe 1-^j-. Intestine 12 inches, two caeca 

 attached by a mesentery, 1 inch long, l inch from cloaca. 



