583 



song. This note is uttered several times in rapid succession whilst the bird is hovering above 

 the breeding-place. Essentially a gregarious and peaceful bird, the Avocet is scarcely ever seen 

 alone ; for in the winter they collect in large or small flocks, and in the breeding-season several 

 pairs always breed together. The nest is nothing but a shallow hole scratched in the ground, in 

 which are generally a few roots and straws, but so few that they cannot possibly be called a 

 lining ; and, as a rule, but little concealment is practised in the selection of the nesting-place. 

 But Dr. Cullen states that he has found nests at Kustendji, in Turkey, which were made com- 

 pletely of straws and stems, and built up to the height of six or eight inches. Dr. Cullen 

 remarks that the young birds when in the down plumage have the beak quite straight ; but, on 

 the other hand, I may say that I have examined quite young specimens, only a day or two old, 

 which had the bills curved nearly as much as in the old bird. It would be interesting to know 

 how the young are fed, as the peculiar formation of the bill must make it impossible for the 

 bird to feed its offspring by thrusting its bill into their gapes in the usual way ; and I cannot 

 help thinking that Mr. Harting is correct in his surmise (Ibis, 1874, p. 248) that Avocets feed 

 their young something in the same way as Puffins do. At present, however, it is impossible to 

 say any thing definite on this point ; for, so far as I can ascertain, no one has had an opportunity 

 of seeing the young fed by the parent bird. 



The eggs of the Avocet, three or four in number, are deposited about the end of May ; 

 sometimes, however, as many as five eggs are laid, though in very exceptional cases. Mr. H. F. 

 Moschler informs me that his collector in South Russia writes to him that he has himself taken 

 an Avocet's nest with five eggs, and has also seen an old Avocet followed by five young ones in 

 down. The nest in question he took in the Calmuck steppe in 1874. According to Naumann 

 both male and female incubate in turn, and incubation lasts about seventeen or eighteen days. 



A series of eggs, from various localities, in my collection does not show much variation, 

 except that some are more profusely marked than others. In colour they are clay-buff, or warm 

 stone-ochre, with a faint greyish tinge ; and the markings, which are tolerably generally distri- 

 buted over the surface of the shell, consist of dull blackish grey underlying shell-markings and 

 clear black surface-spots and blotches. Some are rather lighter in tone of ground-colour than 

 others ; and one or two are rather more profusely marked at the larger end. In size they vary 

 from lf-§ by TJ§ to 2^- by lf-^, and, like the eggs of most of the Waders, are pointed towards 

 the smaller end. 



The specimens figured are an old male from Spain and a nestling from Denmark, both 

 being the specimens above described. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. II. E. Dresser, 

 a, d ad. Spain, June (M. Llanos). b, $ . Boel, Jutland, Denmark, June. c, pull. Bc-el, Denmark, 1872 

 (A. Benzori). 



E. Mus. Howard Saunders, 

 a, 6 . Near Malaga, April 19th. b, c, <3 , $ ■ Near marisma of Guadalquivir, May 4th. d, $ . Valencia, April 

 19th, 1874 [Martin). 



