216 THE BIRDS OF SUSSEX. 



great abundance among the wet grass, choosing for the 

 position of its nest a small tuft, so as jnst to keep the eggs 

 out of the water. Sometimes, however, this object is not 

 obtained, as we occasionally found eggs half immersed. 

 The bird uses its long legs with much greater ease than 

 might be expected; and its long deliberate strides as it 

 walks about in search of food are far from being ungraceful. 

 The only time they seem to be in its way is at the moment 

 of taking flight, when they hang awkwardly down till the 

 bird, being fairly started, stretches them out, extending 

 them far beyond the tail. We used to search for the nests 

 of this bird on horseback, and on observing one sitting, to 

 ride up without taking our eyes off the place. The bird 

 would remain quiet till we were within thirty yards of the 

 nest, when it would walk slowly away, till, aware of our 

 purpose, it would rise and fly, wheeling and screaming 

 overhead. The young Stilt is able to walk almost imme- 

 diately on leaving the egg ; one we found was capable of 

 moving about, while the other three were struggling to free 

 themselves from the shell. The nest is composed of a few 

 bits of dead reed or grass." (See ' Ibis,' 1859, p. 360.) 



It breeds also in Spain, and in many parts, of Asia and 

 Africa. Its note may be expressed by the word " pee " 

 several times repeated. Mr. E. Newman records in ' Zoolo- 

 gist,' (p. 3945) that an example was obtained at Bosham in 

 December 1855 by Mr. A. Cheesemanj and another was 

 shot on a small pond near the junction of the Midhurst and 

 Bepton Commons, May 17th,. 1859, of which Mr. Knox 

 gives an interesting account in ' The Ibis,' 1859, p. 395, from 

 .which the following is extracted : — The pond was very 

 shallow, being only about a foot deep at fifteen paces from 

 the shore, and was covered with the blossoms of the Water 

 Crowfoot, Ranunculus aquaticus, which were inhabited by 

 numerous minute Dipterous and Coleopterous insects. The 



