AMERICAN AVOSET. 169 
ing for food, or runs after it, sometimes swimming for a yard or so 
while passing from one shallow to another, or wading up to its body, 
with the wings partially raised. Sometimes they would enter among 
the rushes, and disappear for several minutes. They kept apart, but 
crossed each other’s path in hundreds of ways, all perfectly silent, and 
without shewing the least symptom of enmity towards each other, al- 
though whenever a Sandpiper came near, they would instantly give 
chase to it. On several occasions, when I purposely sent forth a loud 
shrill whistle without stirring, they would suddenly cease from their 
rambling, raise up their body and neck, emit each two or three notes, 
and remain several minutes on the alert, after which they would fly to 
their nests, and then return. They search for food precisely in the 
manner of the Roseate Spoonbill, moving their heads to and fro side- 
ways, while their bill is passing through the soft mud; and in many 
instances, when the water was deeper, they would immerse their whole 
head and a portion of the neck, as the Spoonbill and Red-breasted 
Snipe are wont to do. When, on the contrary, they pursued aquatic 
insects, such as swim on the surface, they ran after them, and on get- 
ting up to them, suddenly seized them by thrusting the lower mandible 
beneath them, while the other was raised a good way above the surface, 
much in the manner of the Black Shear-water, which however performs 
this act on wing. They were also expert at catching flying insects, 
after which they ran with partially expanded wings. 
I watched them as they were thus engaged about an hour, when 
they all flew to the islets where the females were, emitting louder notes 
than usual. The different pairs seemed to congratulate each other, 
using various curious gestures ; and presently those which had been sit- 
ting left the task to their mates and betook themselves to the water, 
when they washed, shook their wings and tail, as if either heated or 
tormented by insects, and then proceeded to search for food in the 
manner above described. Now, Reader, wait afew moments until I eat 
my humble breakfast. 
About eleven o’clock the heat had become intense, and the Avosets 
gave up their search, each retiring to a different part of the pond, where, 
after pluming themselves, they drew their heads close to their shoul- 
ders, and remained perfectly still, as if asleep, for about an hour, when 
they shook themselves simultaneously, took to wing, and rising to the 
height of thirty or forty yards, flew off towards the waters of the Wa- 
bash River. 
