BLACE-NECKEB STILT 345 



Eggs — 3 to 4, large, pear-shaped, measuring in inches, 1.59 to 1.84 by 1.16 

 to 1.26 (in millimeters, 40.3 to 46.6 by 29.6 to 32.1), and averaging 1.70 by 

 1.24 (43.1 by 31.4) (six sets, 22 eggs, from Los Banos, Merced County) ; ground- 

 color medium buff or clay; superficial markings deep reddish brown, or brown- 

 ish black, deeper ones gray or lavender; surface with slight sheen. 



General distribution — Temperate North America and northern South 

 America. Breeds from central Oregon, northern Utah, and southern Colorado, 

 south to the southern boundary of the United States; also breeds locally in 

 Mexico, in the Bahama Islands and West Indies, and in South America to 

 northern Brazil and Peru. Winters in extreme southern United States and 

 south through Mexico and northern half of South America. 



Distribution in California — Common summer visitant and breeder in the 

 Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley, and in the southern coastal district west of 

 the desert divides, from the latitude of Santa Barbara southeastward. 

 Reported also sparingly from northern California east of the Sierran divide at 

 Goose Lake (Dawson, MS). Arrives from late March to early April and 

 departs by mid-October. Stragglers have been taken as late as November 19, 

 1891. One winter record: Bixby, Los Angeles County, January 5, 1910 

 (Willett, 1912a, p. 35). 



The Blaek-necked Stilt, Lawyer, or Long-shanks, as it is variously 

 called, is one of the commonest summer birds along inland todies of 

 water. Often in company with its nearest relative, the Avocet, it is to 

 be found wading or stalking about the edges of shallow bodies of 

 water. The Stilt, however, seems to have a less decided preference 

 for brackish water or alkaline sinks than does the Avocet. 



The Stilt is a regular summer visitant in the interior of Cali- 

 fornia, usually arriving in numbers by the last of March or in early 

 April and leaving by the middle of October. It is somewhat more 

 southern in its general distribution than the Avocet. In northeastern 

 California it is scarce, having been found only at Goose Lake (Daw- 

 son, MS) and at Rhett, or Tule, Lake (Newberry, 1857, p. 99). In 

 the Sacramento Valley it is common locally and occurs north at least 

 to Gridley, Butte County, and it is abundant in suitable localities in 

 the San Joaquin Valley. On the coastal slope of southern California 

 it occurs at Santa Barbara in spring migrations during April and 

 May and is a common summer visitant from the vicinity of Los 

 Angeles south at least to the vicinity of Santa Ana (Willett, 1912a, 

 p. 35). During migrations it appears sparingly west to the coast at 

 San Francisco Bay, and on the deserts of southeastern California. The 

 date of earliest arrival within the state in 1912 was March 22, at Los 

 Banos (Beck, MS), but in 1914 Tyler (MS) saw five near Fresno, 

 February 11. The second week in April seems to mark the time when 

 the species usually arrives ; for the majority of the spring records fall 

 during that period. By late July or early August the southward 

 migration has set in, a flock having been seen at Bear Lake, San 

 Bernardino Mountains, July 30, 1905 (Grinnell, 1908, p. 55), and 



