THE AVOCET. 



5()9 



The Common Sandpiper, or Summer Snipe, is a well-known visitor to northern Europe, 

 and has derived its name of Summer Snipe from its habit of remaining there only during the 

 summer months, arriving about April or May and leaving before October. 



The Stilt Sandpiper {Micropalma Ivimantopus) is a native American bird. It is not 

 observed west of the Rocky Mountains, and is rather rare in the United States. In the West 

 Indies, Central America, and the most of South America it occurs. It breeds in high latitudes, 

 and is occasionally taken in New England during the migrating season. 



Dr. Coues says of it : " This is a very remarkable Sandpiper, connecting this group with 

 the true snipes by means of MacrorJiamphus, with which its relationsliips are very close. Its 

 pattern of coloration and changes of plumage are much as in M. griseus. The bill is quite 

 snipe-like, though shorter ; the legs are very long, relatively exceeding those of Macrorham- 



plius, and there are two basal 



=^ 



webs to the toes, as in Ereunetesy 



The Avocet is one of the 

 most remai'kable among Euro- 

 pean birds, and is easily recogniz- 

 able by its long, curiously-curved 

 beak, and its boldly pied plum- 

 age. 



The Avocet is not a common 

 bird in nortliem countries of 

 Europe, and is now but seldom 

 seen, though in former days it 

 used to be tolerably plentiful on 

 the sea-coasts and in marshy 

 lands. The long and oddly- 

 curved beak is very slender and 

 pointed, and from its peculiar 

 shape has earned for its owner 

 the name of Cobbler's Awl Bird. 

 While obtaining its food the 

 Avocet scoops the mud with its 

 beak, leaving sundry unmistak- 

 able marks behind ; and is called 

 in some countries the Scooper. 

 The food of the Avocet consists 

 almost wholly of worms, insects, 

 and little crustaceans ; and while 

 the bird is engaged in the search 

 after these creatures it paddles 

 over the oozy mud with its 

 webbed feet and traverses the soft surface with much ease and some celerity. The cry of the 

 Avocet is a sharp, shrill Idud of yelp, and is uttered whenever the bird is alarmed. The 

 tlight is strong and rapid. 



The nest of the Avocet is placed on the ground in some convenient hollow, and the eggs 

 are yellowish-brown with black marks. The mother will feign lameness when observed, like 

 the preceding species. 



The greater part of the plumage of this bird is pure white, but the top of the head, the 

 back of the neck, the scapnlaries, lesser wing-coverts, and the primaries are jetty black. It is 

 a rather large bird, measuring about eighteen inches in total length. The beak is extremely 

 thin, and has been well compared by Yarrell to " two thin pieces of whalebone coming to a 



point and curving upwards." 

 Vol. n.-Ta. 



&NOCM,'i.--Recurmrostra avoceUa. 



