BLACK-WINGED STILT 257 



There are not many records from Scotland : Dumfries, 

 Perthshire, the vicinity of the Clyde near Glasgow, Aber- 

 deen, the Orkneys and Shetlands, have yielded specimens. 



There are six records from Ireland, none of recent date. 



The following counties have been visited : Kerry, Cork, 

 Westmeath, Limerick, Dublin, and Mayo. The earliest 

 recorded occurrence took place in Cork in the winter of 

 1823 or 1824. There have been no records during the latter 

 half of the last century. 



Food. The Black-winged Stilt feeds largely on insects, 

 chiefly gnats and aquatic beetles. It may be seen standing 

 in water (almost sufficiently deep to cover its long legs and 

 feet), watching for flies, at which it snaps as they buzz 

 around (Jardine). 



Voice. The bird utters a clear note resembling the 

 syllables pee-pee-pee-pee. In the breeding-season it may 

 be heard in the vicinity of its nest, making a sound like 

 gnreet, gnreet, gnreet, gnreet, sharply repeated (Saunders). 



Nest. This species usually builds by the margins of 

 pools or lakes. The nest, in some instances, is a simple 

 structure made of scanty herbage, and placed in a tuft of 

 rushes or grass, but on wet, muddy soil the bird banks up 

 its nest to prevent the eggs from getting damp. These, 

 four in number, are described by Mr. Saunders as " of 

 a warm stone-colour with hieroglyphic-like scrollings and 

 blotches of black." 



Geographical distribution. This Stilt breeds sparingly 

 in Hungary, and abundantly in Southern Spain, in Sicily, 

 and on the shores of the Black, Caspian, and Aral Seas. 

 Eastward it is found nesting in Temperate and Southern 

 Asia as far as India and Ceylon. In parts of the North 

 of Africa it is also a common breeding-species. On migra- 

 tion in winter it visits Southern Africa and Madagascar, 

 while stragglers wander northward at irregular intervals 

 to many countries of Central Europe. 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 



PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. Back, scapulars, and 

 wings, rather glossy greenish-black ; tail, shaded grey; rest 

 of plumage, white. 



Adult female nuptial. Similar to the male plumage, 

 except that the feathers of the back and wings are dark 

 dusky-brown. 



17 



