HIMANTOPUS. 



293 



Plates. — Gould, Birds of Australia, vi. pi. 27. 

 Habits. — Buller, Birds of New Zealand, p. 201. 

 Eggs. — Campbell, Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds, p. 55. 

 the Common Avocet. 



Indistinguishable from those of 



Literature. 



The Australian Avocet may be diagnosed at all ages by its combination of the following 

 characters : — secondaries white on both webs, a great deal of white on the scapulars, but 

 none on the tertials. In breeding-plumage the head and neck are chestnut. 



It is found throughout Australia, except in the extreme north, and occasionally occurs 

 in Tasmania, New Zealand, and Norfolk Island. 



The Australian Avocet is an intermediate form between the Common Avocet and the 

 North-American Avocet ; it has less white on the wing than the former and more than the 

 latter. 



Specific 

 characters. 



Geographi- 

 cal distribu- 

 tion. 



