40 



THE OOLOGIST. 



wade into the water to secure the speci- | 

 mens, which, however, was of little conse- 

 quence, as I was already wet and muddy 

 to the waist ; picked up the dead ones from 

 the crimsoned water, and had an exciting 

 chase after the wounded. It was painftil 

 to witness their struggles, and I almost 

 wished they could be restored to the health 

 and pleasure they had enjoyed up to the 

 last moment. But the mischief was not to 

 be undone, and it was the part of mercy 

 then to put those still living out of their 

 pain. I'his I did, and, resolving to use all 

 my specimens to the best advantage and 

 take no more innocent lives, I left the Stilts 

 to their peaceful occupations." 



Like tlie generality of sliore birds {Z,wi- 

 icolce), the Black-necked Stilt is not even 

 a fair swimmer, as its toes are devoid of 

 webs, and it will in all cases when possible, 

 shirk immersion. The flight is strong, 

 well sustained, and even, and, it will be 

 seen from the construction of its wings, 

 very swift. When performing prolonged 

 flights it sometimes rises to a considerable 

 height in the air, but the usual elevation is 

 a few rods above the earth. 



The nest is simply a collection of leaves, 

 straws and grasses, sometimes, though not 

 frequently, lined with a small quantity of 

 any suitable softer material. Wilson says 

 that they "are at first slightly built of 

 grasses, and afterwaixl elevated and strength- 

 ened, as the birds lay and set, by the ad- 

 dition of dry twigs and various other ma- 

 teri.-v'*-." This statement is evidently dis- 

 credited- by authors generally ; and concil- 

 iatory to it Dr. Coues observes: "It is 

 certainly imusual for nests to be worked 

 upon after incubation has commenced, and 

 probably those that Wilson describes were 

 not then fitted for the reception of the eggs. 

 But we know, also, that the stress the moth- 

 er bird may be under to deposit an egg may 

 sometimes demand hasty di-oppiug, even 

 before her nest is as elaborately finished as 

 it would otherwise have been." The eggs 

 are four in number, pyriform, and average 

 1.75 inches in length by 1.20 in width. 

 The ground color is a very dark buff or 



light umber, often approaching a drab ; 

 over this are scattered blotches of deep 

 chocolate -brown. Both sexes incubate. 

 In the alkaline regions of the west the birds 

 breed together in large numbers. Wheth- 

 er the Stilt is hunted as a game bird, or is 

 at all desirable for tlie table, we have no 

 immediate account, but it would naturally 

 be inferred from its rank among its fellow 

 waders, that wei-e it accessible, it would 

 prove worthy a position among the game 

 birds. It first makes its appearance in the 

 Middle and New England States about the 

 first of March, and begins its southern mi- 

 gration in the middle of September ; during 

 the latter part of tliis month it is most nu- 

 merous on the lakes and marshes, and es- 

 pecially the Atlantic coast. 



Dr. Jasper makes several interesting ob- 

 servations on the migrations of birds. He 

 says : "• Singing birds make their passages 

 or migrations every fall. Aquatic birds 

 set out on their passages long before the se- 

 verely cold weather sets in. A majority 

 of the birds of North America, and of 

 Northern Europe and Northern Asia, mi- 

 grate in a more or less southern direction ; 

 those in the Eastern hemisphere journeying 

 southwesterly, and those in the Western 

 hemisphere eastwardly, according to the 

 prospect for finding plenty of food and a 

 good wiutei'-harbor. Rivers, valleys, and 

 mountains serve for guidance to migratory 

 birds. Sometimes the birds fly in pairs 

 and sometimes in large flocks. The shy 

 and feeble travel by night, the bold and 

 strong both day and night. Before they 

 set out, they grow restless and w^ander a- 

 l>out, as if prompted to travel by an irre- 

 sistable impulse." 



An enormous fossil bird called Llthornis 

 r}Ht/htv,-<, supposed to be from the Eocene 

 period, was recently discovered in England 

 near Shepey. 



