nECl'UVIUOSTUTD.K — TIIK STILTS - UIMAN'Tol'l'S. 



847 



(if tlH' 

 tflll illlll 

 luVS (ici;i- 



■idividual 



luro mar 



luitl to !>•' 



Islimas, 



[l-Pll lliMl' 



Tlu>ii:4l> 



iiiii ('(iimiuiii, it is ii it';,Miliii' vi.sitaiit. iiiid is iiossilils a ri'sidnit. Aii'drdin^,' tn I,('(». 

 t:iiid, it i.s I'DUiid ill 'I'riiiidiid, and, iilllioii^'ii lint colitiiioii, is siiplMisrd to \>f n-sidciit 

 ill tliiit island. Mr. C W . W viill, (••liiis," 1.S7I) niciitidiis lindiiij; it wading in the 

 .•ilialluws (tf a laj^iiun lu'ar ('ii'iia','a, in ( nloiuliia, S. A. 



A siii.i,di' t'xaiiiidt' nl till' Stilt is rccordt'd liy .Major Wt'ddcrliiirn as liaviii^,' liccn 

 >liiit in hiTiiiiida, .liinc o, isri.'!. |>r. Ilcrlandifr (MSS.) rites this siiccics as inlialiit- 

 iii;- laaisliy iilaci's mi llic littoral plains (d' tin- (iiilf ol .Mexico, in Texas. 'I'aniaiilipas. 

 ihe vieinity <d' Tamiiieo. and oii the slioies of Lake 'l'ania.|na and 'I'lixpan, in the 

 Slate of N'eia ('ill/. It is there kimwii liy the trivial name of '/VA///A(. 



|)r, ( 'ooipei' noticed a nii^^'ialin,'.; tlock at l''ort .Mojave, on tlie 1st id' May, IHCil ; and 

 III! the iL'lh ol' .May, LS(ii{, ohtaiiied the tiist one seen at Santa liarliara. lieiiee he 

 iiihrs that it always arrives t'roin the south about that time. It is rare on the I'aeitii- 

 coast, hut iiii;,nates tliidii.i,di the interior, and seeiii.s to pr«d'er the I'resh-water streams 

 ami marshes, reedin.:,' aloiii^ their shores. Speeimi'Ms have lieeii procured near the 

 llocky .Moiintaiiis ; Imt it is everywhere rare in Caliiornia. 



.\ccording to (iiraiid, this species is loiind on liOiig Island, liiit is not couiiuon ; 

 ami it is this hird, and not the .Vvoeet. which is Ihe •• Lawyer" of liiinters. On the 

 sia-i'uast ol' New .liTsey, where it arrives Irom the south in the latter part ol' .\pril, 

 it is more common. Ilirdsid' this species associate in small parties, and resort to the 

 sliallow ponds on the iiieailows in the vicinity ol' the sea-<'oast, where they wade in 

 pursuit of aipiatie insects and minute shelllish. Occasionally a lew straj,'j;lers may 

 h ' seen loileiiii^' alioiii the pools on the soiitheni shore of Long islaml ; Imt these are 

 usii illy solitary individuals, and such are said to he infreqiu'iit. This liird is very 

 lanly exposed for sale in New Y'ork luarketM, and is not known to liieed on Long 

 I.-.laiid. 



Ill Utah, liotli this species and the Avocet are known as the '• White Snijie." Mr. 

 Alli'ii found both species in Septemhor. in the valley of the (Jreat Salt Lake, and 

 (piite ahundaiit, both species being charaeteristie id' that region, where both arn 

 siiiiimer residents, anil breed on the shores and islands of tlu' lake i!i great 

 aiiinidanci-. 



.Mr. Widgway met with this bird in the spring and summer mojitlis near the alka- 

 line lakes and ]ioiiils id' the (ireat liasin, inhabiting the same localities with the 

 Avocet. and being its almost constant eomjianion. In the southeastern portion of 

 ( >regi(ii ('ai>taiii IJeudire found it assoeiatt'd with the Avocet, and l'iTi]ueiitiug the 

 same localities, but not so common. It also breeds in that region. 



.Mr. Moore writes that he has seen but two pairs of this s])ecie.s, on Sarasota Hay, 

 ill I'lorida, (luring a residence of two summers, or from February to XovemlH'r in two 

 I'liiisciMitive years. The lirst pair seen was .luiie 1!). 1S7(>, and the second A])ril 0, 

 1S71.'; the latter in a pond two miles iroiii the Uay in company with Totunns 

 j/'iri'pcs. 



On the coast id' (Juatemala, as observed by Mr. Salvin. the Stilts were wading 

 iiiioiit near the shore, pecking at the surface of the water; they were in great num- 

 licis, but all in small flocks. .Mr. K. Newton, who observed it in a lagoon on the 

 .south side of the Island of St. Croix, also mentions its occurring in small flocks of 

 tliiee or f(mr. These were wading mid-leg deep in its shallow water, and were 

 ipiite regardless of the ap|iroacli of the boat, but walked .slowly about, s(mietiines 

 picking up insects from the surface of the water, at others dipping their bills into 

 it and, then stojiiiing, with their heads on one side, as if listening, or looking intently 

 into the water. Leotandsiieaks of them as usually occurring in ]mm in Trinidad, on 

 the borders of partially dried pools. I'erched upon their long legs, they move with 



