HIMANTOPUS. 



293 



Plates. — Gould, Birds of Australia, vi. pi. 27. 

 Habits. — BuUer, Birds of New Zealand, p. 301. 

 Eggs. — Campbell, Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds, p. 55. 

 the Common Avocet. 



Indistinguishable from those of 



Literature. 



The Australian Avocet may be diagnosed at all ages by its combination of the following Specific 

 characters : — secondaries white on both webs, a great deal of wJiite on the scapulars, but characters 

 none on the tertials. In breeding-plumage the head and neck are chestnut. 



It is found throughout Australia, except in the extreme north, and occasionally occurs Geographi- 

 in Tasmania, New Zealand, and Norfolk Island. 



The AustraUan Avocet is an intermediate form between the Common Avocet and the 

 North-American Avocet ; it has less white on the wing than the former and more than the 

 latter. 



cal distribu- 

 tion. 



