Oedee GEALLJE.] [Fast. SCOLOPACIILE. 



EECUEVIBOSTBA N0VJ1 HOLLANDI^!. 



(RED-NECKED AVOCET.) 



Eecurvirostra novae hoUandice, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. iii. p. 103 (1816). 

 Recurvirostra rubrieottis, Temm. Man. d'Oni. ii. p. 592 (1820). 

 Awcetta novce zealandice, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7470. 



Ad. pulchre niveus, scapularibus imis nigricantibus : capite cum collo postico et laterali guttureque toto satu- 

 rate ferrugineis : pileo antico et vertice cinerascentibus, gula etiam albido varia : tectricibus alarum 

 minimis albis, medianis nigris, majoribus albis : remigibus nigricanti-brunneis, pennis minoribus et 

 secundariis exterioribus albis : cauda alba, pennis centralibus pallide cinereis : subtus niveus : rostro 

 nigro : pedibus plumbescenti-nigris : iride rubra. 



Adult. Head and about two thirds of the neck dark rufous, paler on the crown, and inclining to greyish- 

 brown towards the base of the bill ; the inner scapulars, the first six primaries, and the longer seconda- 

 ries, with their coverts, black, the latter tinged with brown ; the effect in the closed wing is a black 

 surface, with a narrow longitudinal bar of white ; tail pale ash-grey ; the rest of the plumage pure white. 

 Irides red; bill black; legs and feet bluish black. Length 17 - 25 inches; wing, from flexure, 9; tail 4; 

 bill, along the ridge, following the curvature, 3'75 ; bare tibia l - 5 ; tarsus 3'5 ; middle toe and claw l - 75 ; 

 hind toe and claw l - 4. 



This beautiful Australian Avocet, to which I have restored Vieillot's original name of Recurvi- 

 rostra novoe hoUandice, is an occasional visitant to our shores. In the summer of 1859-60 I saw 

 a small flock of them far up the course of the Ashburton river, and again in a small lagoon near 

 the township of Timaru, but, not having a gun with me, I was unable to secure any. In the same 

 season a specimen was shot by Mr. French on the tidal flats near tbe mouth of the Kaiapoi river ; 

 and this, unfortunately, was allowed to perish. Three years later I met with a flock numbering 

 five or six on the south-west coast of the Wellington Province. They were very shy, rising high 

 in the air on my attempting to approach them, and taking their course for the opposite side of 

 Cook's Strait. Two specimens have been shot on the ocean-beach near Dunedin ; and Dr. Bichard- 

 son received another from the Whakatipu Lake, in the interior of the Otago Province. A solitary 

 one was shot on the mud-flats near Whangarei some years ago ; and the skin was preserved by 

 Mr. George Burnett, who forwarded it to Europe. The specimen from which my description is 

 taken was killed on the mud-flats near Christchurch in 1864, and was forwarded to me at once by 

 Dr. Haast for determination. It now forms a part of his magnificent collection of New-Zealand 

 birds in the Canterbury Museum. I understand that, more recently, further specimens have been 

 obtained through the exertions of his excellent taxidermist, Mr. F. Fuller. 



In Gould's ' Birds of Australia,' where it is distinguished as Recurvirostra rubrieottis (Temm.), 

 the following account of its habits is given : — " Like its European representative, the Ked-necked 



