HDI.iNTOPUS. RECTJRVIROSTRA. 35 



The eggs of the North- American Stilt are rather larger than 

 those of the Common Stilt, bat do not otherwise differ from them. 

 They measure from 1*7 to 1-9 in length, and from 1-18 to 1'26 in 

 breadth. 



1. North America (Smiths. Lirt.}. Salvin-Godman Coll. 



1. North America (Henshaw Coll.}. Salvin-Godman Coll. 



2. Utah (Hemhaio Coll.}. Salviu-Godmin Coll. 

 4. Washoe Lake, Nevada ( //. W. Ren- Salvin-Godman Coll. 



share}. 



Himantopus melas, //. fy J. 



Ilimantopus melas, Potts, Trans. New Zenl. List. ii. p. 70 (1869) ; 



Seebohm, Geogr. Distr. Charadriida, p. 285 (1887); Sharpe, Cat. 



Birds B. M. xxiv. p. 323 (1898) ; id. Hand-l. i. p. 156 (1899). 

 Ilimantopus novse-zealaudiae, Harting, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 459, pi. Ix. 



fig. 10; Bullet; Birds Neio Zeal. 2nd ed. ii. p. 24 (1888). 



The eggs of the Black Stilt in the Collection resemble very closely 

 those of the Common Stilt and the New-Zealand Pied Stilt. As 

 pointed out, however, by Mr. Harting (I. c.}, ihe markings on the 

 eggs of the present species are more streaky than is the case with 

 those on the eggs of the other species of this genus, but whether 

 this character is constant it is impossible to say at present. Three 

 specimens measure respectively: 1*7 by 1-26 : 1/8 by 1*22; 1-8 

 by 1-22. 



3. Otago River, New Zealand, 14th Seebohm Coll. 



Oct. (J. R. Cook : Harting Coll.}. 



Genus RECURVIROSTRA, Linn. 



Recurvirostra avocetta, Linn. 



Recurvirostra avocetta, Thien. Fortpflanz. ges. Viig. tab. Ixvi. fig. 2, a-h 

 (1845-54) ; Baedeker, Eier Eur. Vdg. tab. 5. fig. 3 (1855-63) ; 

 Heivitson, Eggs of Brit. Birds, ii. p. 339, pi. xcii. fig. ii (1856) ; 

 Salvin, Ibis, 1859, p. 359 ; Dresser, Birds Ear. vii. p. 577 (1875) ; 

 Sharpe, ed. Laijard, Birds 8. Africa, p. 673 (1875-84) ; Legge, 

 Birds Ceyl. p. 925 (1880) ; Poynting, Eggs of Brit. Birds, p. 79, 

 pi. 19 (1895-6) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. xxiv. p. 326 (1896) ; id. 

 Hand-l. i. p. 157 (1899). 



Himantopus avocetta, Seebohm, Brit. Birds, iii. p. 74, pi. 24 (188o) ; id. 

 Geogr. D : str. Charadriidce, p. 289 (1887) ; id. Eggs of Brit. Birds, 

 p. 129, pi. 38. figs. 2, 5 (18913). 



The eggs of the Common Avocet are mostly pyriform, and many 

 eggs have a slight amount of gloss. They are very uniform, being 

 of a buff colour, spotted and blotched with dark brown or black, 

 and underlying pale purple. On some examples the markings are 

 small ; on others, coarse and blotchy. The eggs are very much 

 larger than those of the Common Stilt, but otherwise they resemble 

 them closely. They measure from 1-7 to 2-15 in length, and from 

 1-25 to 1-45 in breadth. 



D2 



