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AMERICAN AVOSET. 
RECURVIRUSTRA AMERICANA, GMEL. 
PLATE CCCXVIII. Aputtr Mate, anp Youne In WINTER. 
Tue fact of this curious bird’s breeding in the interior of our coun- 
try accidentally became known to me in June 1814. I was at the time 
travelling on horseback from Henderson to Vincennes in the State of 
Indiana. As I approached a large shallow pond in the neighbourhood 
of the latter town, I was struck by the sight of several Avosets hover- 
ing over the margins and islets of the pond, and although it was late, 
and I was both fatigued and hungry, I could not resist the temptation 
of endeavouring to find the cause of their being so far from the sea. 
Leaving my horse at liberty, I walked toward the pond, when, on being 
at once assailed by four of the birds, I felt confident that they had 
nests, and that their mates were either sitting or tending their young. 
The pond, which was about two hundred yards in length, and half 
as wide, was surrounded by tall bulrushes extending to some dis- 
tance from the margin. Near its centre were several islets, eight or 
ten yards in length, and disposed in a line. Having made my way 
through the rushes, I found the water only a few inches deep; but the 
mud reached above my knees, as I carefully advanced towards the 
nearest island. The four birds kept up a constant noise, remained on 
wing, and at times dived through the air until close to me, evincing 
their displeasure at my intrusion. My desire to shoot them however 
was restrained by my anxiety to study their habits as closely as possi- 
ble; and as soon as I had searched the different inlets, and found three 
nests with eggs, and a female with her brood, I returned to my horse, 
and proceeded to Vincennes, about two miles distant. Next morning 
at sunrise I was snugly concealed amongst the rushes, with a fair view 
of the whole pond. In about an hour the male birds ceased to fly over 
me, and betook themselves to their ordinary occupations, when I noted 
the following particulars. 
On alighting, whether on the water or on the ground, the American 
Avoset keeps its wings raised until it has fairly settled. If in the wa- 
ter, it stands a few minutes balancing its head and neck, somewhat in 
the manner of the Tell-tale Godwit. After this it stalks about search- 
