152 HISTORY OF THE 



incubation and the rearing of the young to the males. I have 

 never been so fortunate as to find either of the birds upon the 

 nest; but certainly both appear equally watchful and solicitous, 

 circling around and croaking as one approaches their nests, or 

 near their young, (grayish little fellows, that leave the nest as 

 soon as hatched.) In the earliest arrival noticed, the sexes ap- 

 pear to be about equally divided, and I am inclined to think 

 further examination will prove the birds to be joint workers in 

 the hatching and rearing of their young. 



Their nests are placed on the ground, usually on hummocks, 

 quite deeply excavated, and lined with a thin layer of grasses. 

 Eggs three or four, usually four; ground color cream to brown- 

 ish drab, rather thickly but irregularily blotched with varying 

 shades of brown, to black or deep blackish brown; in shape, 

 pyriform. A sot of four eggs, taken June 1st, 1883, at Pewau- 

 kee, Wisconsin, from a nest on a marsh, are, in dimensions: 

 1.22x.90, 1.23x.88, 1.23x.88, 1.25x.90. 



FAMILY RECURVIROSTEID-32. AVOCETS AND STILTS. 



"Tarsi and bill very long; toes partially webbed and without scalloped mar- 

 gin." 



GENUS RECURVIROSTRA LINN^US. 



"Hind toe rudimentary, but distinct; anterior toes united to the claws by a 

 much emarginated membrane. Bill depressed, decidedly recurved, extending 

 into a fine point, which is slightly decurved. Tail covered by the wings." 



Recurvirostrg, americana GM. 



AMERICAN AVOCET. 

 PLATE X. 



Summer resident in the western part of the State; rare; dur- 

 ing migration, common throughout the State. Arrive the last 

 of April to first of May; begin laying early in June; occasion- 

 ally linger until late in the fall. 



B. 517. R. 566. C. 600. G. 266, 71. U. 225. 



HABITAT. Temperate North America, north to Great Slave 

 Lake, south in winter to Guatemala, Cuba and Jamaica; rare in 

 the Eastern States, not common along the Pacific coast, but in 

 suitable localities abundant in the interior, west of the Missis- 

 sippi River; breeding from southwestern Texas northward with- 



