34 Wyoming Birds. 



Bond from Cheyenne, Coues from Big Sandy River.'' 

 (Knight.) 



224. Steganopus tricolor: Wilson's Phalarope. 



Very abundant breeder about all water in southeastern 

 Wyoming. Metz records it from Sheridan; Clearwaters 

 says it is very abundant at Arlington ; Knight gave numer- 

 ous records. 



RECURVIROSTRIDAE (Avocets and Stilts). 



These long-legged waders are given credit for eating cutworms 

 and grasshoppers, but their principal food is molluscs, crustaceans, 

 and worms, which they secure from the mud. The Avocet's method 

 of feeding is interesting and i« described by Chapman as follows : 



"They frequent shores and shallow pools, and, in searching for 

 shells, crustaceans, etc., their peculiar recurved bill is used in a 

 most interesting manner. Dropping it beneath the surface of the 

 water until its convexity touches the bottom, they move rapidly 

 forward, and with every step swing their bill from side to side, as 

 a mower does his scythe. In this way they secure food which the 

 muddy water would prevent them from seeing." 



References : 



1. Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America, Frank 



Chapman, p. 242. 



2. "Game Birds, Wild Fowl, and Shore Birds," Edward For- 



bush, p. 232. 



225. Recurvirostra americana: Avocet. 



Abundant summer resident over almost the entire state. 



SCOLOPACIDAE (Snipes, Sandpipers, etc.). 

 These birds have long, sensitive bills, with which they probe 

 the mud in search of worms, molluscs, crustaceae, and insect 

 larvae. They also devour large numbers of mosquitoes, flies and 

 their larvae. Though fitted by their long, bare legs and peculiar 

 bills to live along shores and mud flats, several species prefer the 

 open fields, as, for example, the Curlews, Woodcocks, and Upland 

 Plovers. These birds are of considerable economic value as de- 

 stroyers of grasshoppers, crickets, plant beetles, cutworms, wire 



