EECUEVIEOSTEA. 363 



1. Recurvirostra americana. ^ 



American Avocet, Penn. Arctic Zool. ii. p. 502, t. 21 \ 



Recurvirostra americana, dm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 693''; Salv. Ibis, 1865, p. 192'; 1866, p. 198*; 



Dresser, Ibis, 1866, p. 35 ' ; Dugfes, La Nat. i. p. 142 ° ; Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. 



p. 308^ ; Sumichr. La Nat. v. p. 233 "; Baird, Brewer, & Ridgw. Water-Birds N. Amer. i. 



p. 341'; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 186", 328"; Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. N. H. v. 



p. 33"; A. O. U. Check-1. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 83" ; Elliot, N. Amer. Shore-Birds, 



p. 33 " ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 330 " ; Gates, Cat. Eggs Brit. Mus. ii. 



p. 36". 

 Recurvirostra occidentalis, Vig. Zool. Journ. iv. p. 356 "; Wagler, Isis, 1831, p. 522^'. 



Ptil. Mem. pileo, coUo postico et facie lateral! margaritaceo-cinereis ; dorso toto et uropygio pure albis, 

 supracaudalibus margaritaeeo-cinereis ; scapularibus nigricanti-brunneis, extimis dimidiatim albis, fasciam 

 longitudinalem albam formantibus ; ala nigra, tectrieibus alarum albo terminatis; seciindariis externis 

 dimidiatim brunneis et albis, extus albo plus minusve marginatis ; secundariis interioribus quibusdain 

 pure albis, intimis longissimis brunneis cinereo lavatis ; rectricibus paUide cinereis, extimis intus albis ; 

 fronte, loris, genis et corpore subtus toto pure albis : rostro nigro ; pedibus cyanescenti-cinereis ; iride 

 umbrina. Long, tota circa 15-8, alae 9*0, eaudse 3'4, culm. 4*0, tarsi 3-75. 

 $ mari similis. Long, tota circa 15'5, alae 8'8. (Descr. maris et feminse biem. ex Chiapam. Mus. nostr.) 



Ptil. cestiv. pUeo, collo postico et lateraU, et corpore subtus pallide vinaceo-cinnamomeo indutis. (Descr. maris 

 adulti ex Corpus Christi, Texas. Mus. nostr.) 



Ilah. North Ameeica, north to the Saskatchewan and Great Slave Lake ; rare in the 

 Eastern United States ^3. — Mexico (Wagler ^% Matamoros (Dresser^), Oputo, 

 Sonora {Rohinette^^), Mazatlan {Grayson'), Eio de Coahuayana [Xantus''), Zacatecas 

 (Eichardson^^), Guanajuato and Guadalajara (Buges^), Valley of Mexico 

 (Herrera ^^ ^^), east coast of Mexico, Alvarado and Cordova in Vera Cruz 

 (Sumichrast ^), S. Mexico {Boucard i^) ; Guatemala, Chiapam {0. S.^^ i^). 



This bird is an inhabitant of North America, having nearly the same range as 

 Himantopus mexicanm, but extending a little farther north than the last-named 

 species. It appears to be a winter visitor to Central America, as Herrera says that it 

 occurs on migration in the Valley of ISIexico in August and September lo. Grayson 

 speaks of the Avocet as a winter visitor at Mazatlan ^ and Salvin found it plentiful 

 in Guatemala, at Chiapam, and about the neighbouring kgoons *. 



When not molested, the American Avocet is of a tame disposition, but if persecuted 

 speedily becomes very shy and wary. The bird seeks its food along the shallows, 

 wading for some distance into the water, and often plunging its head and neck 

 under the surface. The thick-set plumage and webbed feet enable it to be quite at 

 home in the water, and it is a good swimmer i*. 



The nest is made of dry grass and is placed in a tussock, generally in marshy 

 places. The eggs are four in number, varying in colour from dark olive to buff, and 

 thickly spotted or blotched with chocolate- or sepia-brown ^ i*. 



46^ 



