CHARADRIID&. 561 
THE AVOCET. 
RECURVIROSTRA AVOCETTA, Linnzus. 
This remarkable bird was formerly a regular summer-visitor to 
England, and bred in considerable numbers in suitable localities, such 
as the coasts and estuaries of the Humber district, Lincolnshire, Nor- 
folk and Suffolk. Reclamation of fen-land gradually circumscribed 
its haunts, and moreover a large colony at Salthouse appears to have 
been destroyed in consequence of a demand for Avocet’s feathers for 
dressing artificial flies ; while the collection of its eggs also contributed 
to the decrease of the species, and nesting in England had probably 
ceased by 1824. Small parties still arrive in spring, and occasionally 
in autumn, but the former are never allowed to breed, for the 
amasser of “ British-killed ” specimens offers inducements to the local 
gunners far exceeding the amount of any fine and costs that would 
be imposed under the Wild Birds’ Preservation Act in the event of 
the offender’s conviction. On the south coast the Avocet used to 
nest on the flat shores of Kent and Sussex, to which it is now only a 
visitor ; while on the west side it is of rare occurrence and in the 
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