582 



6 



confirm Pallas's statement that it frequents the salt lakes and steppes of Dauria. He first 

 observed it in small flocks at the Tarei-nor on the 28th April, 1856 ; and soon after, they separated 

 in pairs. On the 24th May several eggs were found. Mr. Swinhoe says that it visits the China 

 coast in winter; and, according to Pere David, it is found in May at Ordo, near the Yellow 

 Eiver. 



In habits, as well as in appearance, the Avocet closely resembles the true Sandpiper, and in 

 its general mode of moving about along the shore it reminds one of the Greenshank ; but on the 

 wing it differs materially in appearance from any of the true Sandpipers, and resembles more the 

 Stilt, though it differs not a little from that species also. The wings are extended rather far, 

 arched, the centre being the highest portion ; and the bird propels itself either by quick flaps or 

 by slow measured ones, according as it is hurried or not. When undisturbed, and flitting about 

 at its nesting-haunts, it flies, at no great height, slowly and somewhat heavily, its long legs 

 stretched out behind, and its long neck drawn in, and the head slightly depressed. It is a shy, 

 wary bird, careful to permit no one to approach it, and well aware of the danger involved in the 

 close proximity of man ; therefore it is by no means easy to watch its movements, even with a 

 field-glass. I have, however, had very ample opportunities of watching its ally, Recurvirostra 

 americana, which closely resembles it in habits. When at Matamoras, in Mexico, about ten 

 years ago, I found the Avocets, which frequented a lagoon close to the town, so tame, from never 

 having been molested, that I could, by lying on the ground and creeping quietly towards them, 

 approach within a dozen paces ; and with a field-glass I could then watch every movement. They 

 were feeding on small aquatic insects, which they scooped up in shallow water ; and the mode in 

 which they did this was most peculiar. A flock of, say, ten or a dozen would commence opera- 

 tions in a diagonal line, one rather before the other, exactly like mowers in a field ; and they 

 moved slowly onwards, scooping sideways in the water with their recurved bills in regular order, 

 reminding one most forcibly of a gang of mowers in a large field. I have several times examined 

 the stomachs of Avocets I have obtained, and never found any thing in them but a mass of stuff 

 mixed up with tiny stones, and could never exactly make out of what it consisted, though it 

 appeared, so far as I could ascertain, to be the remains of minute insects pounded up into an 

 undistinguishable pulp. So far as I know, the Avocet always uses its bill sideways, and never, 

 like the other Waders, probes in the mud in search of insects, for which purpose moreover the 

 shape of the bill would render it inapplicable. The Avocet walks and runs along the shores 

 with ease, and wades often so deep into the water as to wet its belly; nor does it hesitate to go 

 deeper ; for it swims with ease, and will cross a deep place without avoiding it, though, as a rule, 

 it is comparatively seldom seen on the water. When swimming, it sits as lightly and gracefully 

 as a Phalarope. I have seen a flock feeding in shallow water ; and when I have approached 

 rather too close they would wade deeper until they got out of their depth, when they paddled 

 easily across the narrow lagoon and commenced operations again in the shallow water on the 

 other side. 



The call-note of the present species is a clear, pleasant, flute-like km, which it does not 

 often utter ; for it is by no means a noisy bird. When it settles down from flight it also utters a 

 soft note resembling the syllables Jcuitt, kuitt ; and besides these, in the pairing-season, the male 

 utters at the nesting-place a rather mournful though flute-like Jcleuh, which is doubtless his love- 



