382 CHAEADKIIDai BECUEVIROSTKA 



(Fleck) ; German South-west Africa — Okavango River and On- 

 donga, November (Andersson) ; Ehodesia — Feira on the Zambesi, 

 September (Stoehr) ; Portuguese East Africa — Tete (Kirk). 



Habits. — The Stilt is usually found singly or in pairs in marshes 

 or along the shores of lakes and rivers ; it can be often seen wading 

 up to its tarsal joints in shallow water looking out for small snails, 

 insects and other water animals, on which it feeds. Its plumage 

 makes it a conspicuous bird when on the wing, while its bright red 

 legs and slender sharp, pointed bill have gained for it its Dutch 

 name of " Roodepoot elsje." 



Mr. Andersson found these birds breeding in considerable 

 abundance at the Berg Eiver in September, but he gives no details. 

 Eggs obtained by him on this occasion are still preserved in the 

 South African Museum ; they are pyriform in shape like that of a 

 plover, and with little or no gloss ; the ground colour is buff of 

 various shades from pale brown to cream, generally with a tinge 

 of greenish ; the markings are irregularly rounded spots and 

 blotches of a dark brown colour fairly evenly distributed. They 

 measure about ISO x 1-37. 



Genus III. RECURYIROSTEA. 



Type. 

 RecurYirostra, Linn. Syst. Nat. 12th ed. i, p. 256 



(1766) E. avocetta. 



Fig. 12i. — Left foot of Becurvirostra avocetta. x j. 



Bill long and pointed, more than twice the length of the head, 

 both mandibles flattened and strongly up-curved towards the tip ; 

 nostrils linear, in an ill-marked groove hardly extending half way 



