THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 121 



1908, at Avalon, and another shot by John Fonda at Barnegat, May 

 31st, 1880. 1 John Krider states that it formerly nested on Egg 

 Island, in Delaware Bay. 2 There is a specimen in the Philadelphia 

 Academy collection, taken at Beesley's Point by Samuel Ashmead, 

 without date. 



226 Himantopus mexicanus (Mttller). 

 Black-necked Stilt, Lawyer. 



Adult male. Length, 13.5O-15.50. Wing, 8.50-9. Wings, upper back, back 

 of head and neck, glossy greenish-black ; rest of plumage, including forehead 

 and ring around the eye, white; legs, bright red. 



Female. Similar, but back browner. 



Young in first autumn. Similar, but edged above with buff. 



Nest a depression in the ground ; eggs, three to four, buff spotted with choco- 

 late-brown, 1.80x1.25. 



Very rare straggler from the south. 



Wilson and Audubon found the Stilt a common summer resident at 

 Egg Harbor, breeding on the salt meadows in 1812 and 1829, respect- 

 ively, and Turnbull and Krider state that they found it nesting on 

 Egg Island, Delaware Bay [evidently prior to 1869], but it was 

 rather scarce. 



A letter from Wm. M. Baird to his brother, Spencer F. Baird, dated 

 Cape Island, July 16th, 1843, states that they were present there at 

 that time, and a few days later, on July 21st, at Cape May Court 

 House, he secured a specimen. 3 



The only recent record I have is one shot at Stone Harbor April 

 27th, 1894, by C. A. Voelker. 4 



1 Braislin, Auk, 1905, p. 78. 



2 Forty Years' Notes, p. 62. 



8 Baird, Cassin & Lawrence, Birds of N. A., p. 704. 

 4 Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J., p. 152. 



