MORE WADERS 93 



a band below the eyes, and a narrow band along 

 the hind-neck blackish-grey ; upper parts greyish- 

 black, streaked with white. Wing coverts and 

 quills greyish-black ; a white band shows on the 

 wing. All the lower parts are white ; legs and 

 feet dark blue grey. Length, from bill to tail, seven 

 inches. This is the winter plumage. 



THE BLACK-AND-WHITE AVOCET. 

 {Recurvirostra avocetta.) 



Male. — The bill black, three inches long, and 

 curved upwards ; iris reddish-brown. Upper part 

 of head and hind-neck, for half its length, black ; 

 some of the scapulars, the smaller wing coverts, 

 and the primary quills and coverts black. The 

 rest of the plumage is white ; legs and feet greyish- 

 blue. The feet are what the marsh-men call " half- 

 webbed," that is, semi-palmated. Length, from bill 

 to tail, eighteen inches. 



Female. — Similar to the male in colouring. 



THE BLACK-WINGED STILT. 



(^Himantopus candidus.) 



Male. — The bill black ; iris crimson. Upper 

 part of the head and nape greyisfi-black ; fore-part 

 of back, scapulars, and some of the secondaries, with 

 their coverts, black glosses with green. Quills 

 glossy greenish-black ; tail dark grey ; forehead, 

 cheeks, throat, neck, middle and hind parts, and 



