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[Fam. scolopacid^. 



HIMANTOPUS LEUCOCEPHALUS. 



(WHITE-HEADED STILT.) 



Himantopus leucocephalus^ Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 26. 

 Himantomts albits, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7470. 



Native name. — Tutumata, 



Ad. supra niger^ pileo undique, coUo laterali et postico torquem coUarem formante albis : dorso postico et 



uropygio albis : alis omnino nigris dorso concoloribus : cauda alba^ cinerascente lavata^ pennis duabus 

 centralibus omnino cinerascentibus : corpore toto subtus pure albo : rostro nigro : pedibus cruentatis : 

 iride rubra. 



Juv. supr^ niger^ brunneo tinctus : coUo postico sordide griseo-albo : tectricibus alarum et supracaudalibus 



albo terminatis. 



Adult, Back of the neck^ middle portion of back^ scapulars^ and entire upper surface of wings glossy 

 greenish black; lining and under surface of Avings sooty black; the rest of the plumage pure white, 

 with the exception of the tail-feathers, which are more or less tinged with smoky grey. Irides and eye- 

 lids red; bill blacky sometimes horn-coloured at the tip; legs and feet deep pink flesh-colour. Length 

 14 inches ; extent of wings 26*5; wing, from flexure, 9; tail 3; bill, along the ridge 2*4, along the 

 edge of lower mandible 2*6; bare tibia 2; tarsus 4*25; middle toe and claw 1*7. 



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Young. Crown of the head, middle portion of back, scapulars and upper surface of wings, and tail dull 

 sooty black tinged with brown ; nape greyish white, blending on the shoulders into the darker plumage ; 

 upper wing-coTcrts and tail-coverts tipped more or less with greyish white; inner lining of wings and 

 axillary plumes sooty black, tipped with white; the rest of the plumage pure white. . 



Chick, Covered with short soft down of various shades of fulvous yellow^ varied on the upper parts with 



brown, and with a series of square black spots down the back, and a broad streak of the same colour on 

 each thigh. 



The White-headed Stilt, which appears to be also widely distributed over the continent of 

 Australia, is a comparatively common bird in the middle and southern portions of New Zealand; 

 but I know of only a single instance of its occurrence as far north as Auckland. 



Notwithstanding the extraordinary length of its legs, this bird is most graceful in all its 

 movements ; and it is a pretty sight to watch a flock of them on the edges of a lagoon, stalking 

 about in the shallow water in search of their food, which consists of aquatic insects and small 

 mollusca, and displaying their well-balanced bodies in a variety of artistic attitudes. When on 

 the wing, the legs are trailed behind, with a slight swaying motion as if to preserve the equipoise; 

 and the bird utters a sharp, quickly repeated note, like the yelping of a small cur. 



Mr. Gould has given an interesting account of this species in his ' Birds of Australia,' but 



