THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 497 



enable him to kill the much-coveted spoil. The month in question 

 was characterised by the prevalence of light south-easterly winds, 

 with fine warm weather, conditions which served to bring many 

 other rare residents of the far south-east to this island. 



This bird is found as a breeding species throughout southern 

 Europe and Asia, as well as in north Africa; though rarely ex- 

 tending its range to central Europe, it has nevertheless very 

 frequently reached England. 



Avocet Recurvirostra. This genus, characterised by the 

 peculiar upwardly-curved form of the bill, comprises only four 

 species, which are distributed over nearly all parts of the earth ; 

 only one of these belongs to Europe, and it has also occurred in a 

 few instances in Heligoland. America and Australia possess dis- 

 tinct species of their own. 



289. Avocet [SABELSCHNABLER]. 

 RECURVIROSTRA AVOCETTA, Linn. 



Recurvirostra avocetta. Naumann, viii. 213. 



Avocet. Dresser, vii. 577. 



Avocette anuque noire. Temminck, Manuel, ii. 590, iv. 387. 



Strange to say this bird, so singular in form and coloration of 

 plumage, has occurred in Heligoland in only a few instances, al- 

 though it breeds numerously immediately opposite on all the 

 islands off the coast of Holstein. The last example which occurred 

 was shot by my son Ludwig on the dunes at the beginning of 

 June 1871. 



The breeding range of this species extends throughout central 

 and southern Europe and Asia 



Oystercatcher Hcematopus. This genus also appears to con- 

 tain only five species. Only one of these is numerously distributed 

 over all the coasts of northern Europe, and is also of quite 

 common occurrence in Heligoland. According to Seebohm, eastern 

 Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Falkland Islands and 

 Straits of Magellan, and also America, possess each a species 

 of their own. 



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