242 SNIPES AND SANDPIPERS 



upward. Ads. in winter and juv. Generally similar, but head and neck 

 white or pearl-gray. L., 16'50; W., 9'00; Tar., 3'75; B., 3'75. 



Range. N. A. Breeds from e. Ore., cen. Alberta, and s. Man. (rarely n. 

 to Great Slave Lake) s. to s. Calif., s. N. Mex., nw. Tex., n. Iowa, and cen. 

 Wise.; winters from s. Calif., and s. Tex. to s. Guatemala; casual from Ont. 

 and N. B. to Fla. and the West Indies, but rare e. of the Miss. River. 



Long Island, two records. 



Nest, a slight depression in the ground, near water. Eggs, 3-4, pale olive 

 or buffy clay-color, thickly spotted with chocolate, 1*95 x 1*35. Date, 

 Loveland, Colo., June 3. 



Avocets are common birds in parts of the interior, but are rare on 

 the Atlantic coast. They frequent shores and shallow pools, and in 

 searching for shells, crustaceans, etc., their peculiar recurved bill is 

 used in a most interesting manner. Dropping it beneath the surface 

 of the water until its convexity touches the bottom, they move rapidly 

 forward, and with every step swing their bill from side to side, as a 

 mower does his scythe. In this way they secure food which the muddy 

 water would prevent them from seeing. They are very noisy when 

 nesting and with a loud, sharp plee-eek charge bravely toward one, 

 swinging aside only when a few feet away. 



226. Himantopus mexicanus (Mull). BLACK-NECKED STILT. Ad. 

 cT. A white spot above and another below eye; front of head, front of neck, 

 lower back, rump, and underparts white; tail grayish; rest of plumage glossy 

 greenish black. Ad. 9. Similar, but with back fuscous-brown. Juv. 

 Similar, but whole upperparts margined with rusty. L., 15*00; W., 9'00; 

 Tar., 4-15; B., 2'00. 



Range. Temperate N. A. and n. S. A. Breeds from cen. Ore., n. Utah, 

 and s. Colo, to s. Calif., s. N. Mex., s. Tex., coast of La., and in Mex., and 

 from cen. Fla., and Bahamas throughout the West Indies to n. Brazil and 

 Peru; formerly bred to N. J. ; winters from s. L. Calif., s. Tex., s. La., and s. 

 Fla. s. through Cen. Am. and the West Indies to n. Brazil, Peru, and the 

 Galapagos; casual north in migration to Nebr., Wise., and N. B. 



Long Island, two records. 



Nest, near water, a slight depression in the ground lined with grasses. 

 Eggs, 3-4, olive or buffy clay-color, thickly spotted with chocolate, 1'70 x 

 1'25. Date, Fla. Keys, Apl. 25; Brownsville, Tex., Apl. 26. 



Stilts are fond of wading in shallow ponds in both fresh and salt 

 marshes, and are graceful and alert in their movements. During the 

 nesting season they become very noisy, and express their solicitude for 

 their eggs or young by the most surprising demonstrations. After 

 nightfall I have heard Stilts utter their sharp ip-ip-ip as they darted 

 erratically about over the marshes. 



1908. CHAPMAN, F. M., Camps and Cruises, 288 (nesting). 



26. FAMILY SCOLOPACID^E. SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 

 (Figs. 42 a, 6. 43 6, c.) 



About one hundred species are considered as belonging to this 

 family. They are distributed throughout the world, but during the 

 breeding season are mostly confined to the northern parts of the North- 

 ern Hemisphere. Some forty-five species are found in North America. 



