98 FEATHERED GAME 



pools and the muddy ponds, feeding along the 

 edges and even wading in so deep as to im- 

 merse the whole head and neck in the water as 

 they probe into the muddy bottom with their 

 bills. 



In many respects this bird is one of the most 

 remarkable of the waders^ with its striking 

 markings of plumage, long, slender and up- 

 turned bill, long legs and webbed feet, and be- 

 ing also heavily and closely feathered under- 

 neath, there is no difficulty in its swimming or 

 wading. Indeed, it makes nothing of alighting 

 in deep water from its flights when it so wishes, 

 and it can swim as well as a duck. It is cer- 

 tainly well fitted for any exigency of life. "We 

 are told that it is very noisy and less wary in 

 habit than is conducive to its safety. 



The Avocet is extremely long-legged, prob- 

 ably proportionately more so than any other 

 wader unless it be the ''stilt." Its plumage is 

 mainly white, changing to a rusty or cinnamon 

 brown on the head and neck, paling at the base 

 of the bill, darkest on the head and fading grad- 

 ually into the white of the breast and body. 

 The interscapulars and a part of the scapulars 

 are black. Wings for the most part black, but 



