144 SCOOPING AVOSET. Class II. 



distinguished from all others, by the singular 

 form of its bill ; which is three inches and a half 

 long, slender, compressed, very thin, flexible, 

 and of a substance like whalebone; and contrary 

 to the bills of other birds, is turned up for nearly 

 half its length. The nostrils are narrow and 

 pervious ; the tongue short ; the head very 

 • , round ; that, and half the hind part of the neck 



black; but above and beneath each eye is a 

 small white spot; the cheeks, and whole under 

 , ■ side of the body from chin to tail, is of a pure 

 white; the back, exterior scapular feathers, the 

 ..:,-;.:>.: coverts on the ridge of the wings, and some of 

 the lesser quil feathers, are of the same color; 

 the other coverts, and the exterior sides and 

 ends of the greater quil feathers, are black; the 

 tail consists of twelve white feathers ; the legs 

 are very long, of a fine pale blue color, and 

 naked far above the knees; the webs dusky, 

 and deeply indented; the back toe extremely 

 small. 



These birds are frequent in the winter on the 



shores of this kingdom; m Gloucestershire^ , at 



the Severn s Mouth; and sometimes on the lakes 



of Shropshire. We have seen them in consider- 



.i. .i able numbers in the breeding season near Foss- 



* Thirty years ago they were not uncommon in that county, 

 but none have been observed for several years past. E0. 



