THE SCOOPING AVOCET. 229 



in tlie line of the centre of the run ; and if we suppose the 

 left foot to be the one in advance, the bill will be over the 

 right side of the run. The bird then bends its neck a little 

 to the left and downwards, and immediately advancing the 

 right foot, it swings the body upon the left as a pivot, the 

 bill scooping a traverse curve, and impelled by the swing of 

 the body. As soon as the right foot is planted, or rather 

 simultaneously with the planting of it, the bird elevates 

 its bill, in order that whatever food has been scooped up by 

 the bill may be conveyed to the mouth ; and that part of the 

 process is very soon over, as the curve of the bill is not a 

 portion of a circle, but of what geometers call the " curve of 

 quickest descent." The bill is immediately lowered with the 

 point towards the right, and the advance of the left foot, 

 and the swing of the body upon the right one, make another 

 sweep in the opposite direction. In this way the bird ad- 

 vances up the run, scooping alternately left and right, with 

 ease, with effect, and even with a grace, almost unparalleled in 

 the action of birds. It is indeed one of the most beautiful 

 instances of animal mechanics that can possibly be ima- 

 gined, and the motions are performed in such a manner that 

 they can all be seen. 



Avocets are restless and lively in their manners, more 

 sportive than most of the other fen birds. They have not 

 the hideling disposition of the snipes, nor the demureness of 

 the godwits : in some of their habits they more resemble the 

 lapwing, especially in the finesse shown by the female to 

 entice strangers away from her eggs or young. She meets 

 the traveller, and flies round him in rapid circles, screaming 

 " quheet, quheet" but aspirated in a manner that cannot be 

 expressed by letters. She also runs, and limps, and drops 

 one wing occasionally, as if it were broken ; but in her 

 evolutions upon the wing, she does not give those twitches 

 in turning which are so striking, and, as formerly men- 



