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writes as follows : — " I have been informed by Professor Dickie, of Aberdeen, that a specimen 

 was shot on the Old Links near that city in 1841 by Mr. Mitchell, who presented the bird to 

 the late Dr. Fleming. Of late years the only specimen that has occurred to my knowledge is 

 one that was shot on the sands of Kirkcaldy, in Fifeshire, by Mr. John Wilson, of that town, in 

 the second week of August 1862." Dr. Edmonston mentions that it has been met with in 

 Orkney; and Dr. Saxby saw one at Uyea Sound, in Shetland, in March 1871. 



In Ireland, as in Scotland, it is an extremely rare straggler; and it has not been met with 

 in the Fseroes, though it is found in Scandinavia. As regards Norway, Mr. Collett informs me 

 that it " occurs very sparingly in the southern portions of the country, but has not been known 

 to remain there to breed. One was shot at Fredrickstad in 1840, and one at Christiania in 

 1843. It has also been met with in the interior, and one was shot on Hedemarken, near 

 Mjosen, in 1846." In Sweden, Nilsson states, it is seldom met with further north than Gottland, 

 Oland, and Skane. It is rare on the coasts of the last-named province, and is most frequently 

 met with on the southern point and east shore of Oland. It has been seen and obtained at 

 Lomma, Malmo, and Trelleborg; and one was shot at Barseback, in May 1835. Its occurrence 

 in Finland rests on but slender evidence. Dr. Palmen says that, according to Bergstrand, it is 



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said to occur in Lemland, the southermost parish on the island of Aland ; and according to 

 Professor Nordmann a bird was seen on the coast of Nyland which could not well be any thing 

 but an Avocet. On the southern shores of the Baltic it used formerly to breed ; but Borggreve 

 says that it is now almost extinct as a breeding species, and only occurs as a straggler. It still, 

 however, remains for the purpose of nidification on the coasts of Denmark. Kjserbolling writes 

 that it arrives in April and leaves in August, and breeds in several localities, chiefly on the 

 islands, and always near the coast ; and Mr. Fischer says that a small colony bred on a small 

 island in the Liimfiord, not far from Oxholm. In Holland, Mr. H. M. Labouchere informs me, 

 the Avocet still breeds in marshy places along the sea-coast, but is only met with in certain 

 localities. It arrives in April, and leaves again in September. Baron von Droste Hiilshoff also 

 mentions (Vogelw. Borkums, p. 169) that it breeds sparingly on the island of Borkum. In the 

 interior of Germany it is seen but rarely. Naumann states that, with the exception of the large 

 lakes of Hungary, it is everywhere a great rarity, and only occurs as a rare straggler. A few 

 have been obtained in the interior of Germany on the Oder, the Danube, the Boden Lake, the 

 Rhine, and the salt lake at Eisleben ; and I may add that Dr. Key mentions that it has been 

 obtained at the Mansfeld Lake. 



It occurs in small numbers on the coast of Belgium and on the marshes of Flanders at the 

 two seasons of migration, and occasionally visits the interior along the Meuse and the Moselle. 

 In the north of France it is principally seen on passage ; but in many parts of the south it breeds 

 and is resident, especially on the great lagoons of Languedoc and Koussillon, and in the lower 

 Camargue. Professor Barboza du Bocage speaks of it as being common in Portugal ; and it is 

 found in Spain, but would appear to be somewhat local, and not very numerous. Colonel Irby 

 states (Orn. Str. Gibr. p. 164) that he did not personally meet with it; but "a few pairs nest 

 in some parts of the marismas during the month of May, and specimens of both eggs and birds 

 are occasionally brought into Seville; but it cannot be, unless very local, a common bird." 

 Mr. Howard Saunders writes to me as follows : — " This bird is generally distributed in suitable 



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