﻿16 



BULLETIN 1359^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGKICULTUEE 



Table 3. — Material identified in the food of the avocet as determined from the 

 examination of 67 stomachs, and the number of stomachs in which each item 

 was found — Continued 



Animal Matter— Continued 



Trichoptera (caddisflies) 



Caddisfly larvee. 



Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) 



Caterpillars - 



Coleoptera (beetles) 



Bembidion insulatum .'.. 



Bembidion seudderi 



Bembidion sp 



Pterostichus sp 



Selenophorus sp 



Peltodytes callosus 



Other Haliplidse (crawling water-beetles) 



Coelambus sp 



Hydroporus sp 



Dytiscidse (larvae) 



Other Dytiscidse (predacious diving beetles) . 



Helophorus sp 



Tropisternus sp 



Berosus sp 



Berosus sp. (larvse) 



HydrophUidae (water - scavenger beetles) 



(larvse) 



Heterocerus sp 



Tenebrionidse 



Phytonomous sp 



Hyperodes sp 



Other Curculionidse (weevils) 



Sphenophorus ochreus (billbug) 



Sphenophorus mormon (billbug) 



Sphenophorus sp. (billbug) 



Other coleopterans (including larvse) •. 



DiPTERA (flies) 



Tipulidae (crane flies) (larvae) 



Chironomus sp. (larvse) 



Other Chironomidae (gnats) (larvae)..- 



Ephydra gracilis (alkali flies) (adults and 



larvae) 



Ephydra hians (larvae) 



Ephydra sp 



Other dipteran larvse and pupse 



Animal Matter — Continued 

 Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps) 



Larridse . 



Ant 



BraconidsB 



Other hymenopterans . 



Araneida (spiders) 



Spiders. 



MoLLuscA (snails and mussels) 



Physa gyrina 



Planorbis trivolvis 



Planorbis sp 



Other mollusks (eggs) . 



Pisces (fishes) 



Leuciscus lineatus. 

 Other fishes 



Amphibia (frogs, toads, and salamanders) 



Salamander 1 



Vegetable Matter — Seeds 



MarsUea vestita (pepperwort) 1 



Marsilea sp. (pepperwort) 3 



Juniperus utahensis (juniper) 1 



Potamogeton pectinatus (sago pondweed) 



(seeds) 17 



Potamogeton pectinatus (leaves and stems).. 17 



Potamogeton sp . (pondweed) 1 



Ruppia occidentalis (widgeon grass) 1 



Distichilis spicata (salt grass) 3 



Scirpus paludosus (bayonet-grass) 7 



Scirpus sp. (bulrush) 7 



Other Cyperaceae (sedges) 1 



Polygonum sp. (smartweed) 4 



A.triplexsp. (saltbush) 1 



Other ChenopodiacesB 1 



Legume i 



Composite 1 



Other seeds 1 



Vegetable rubbish 19 



BLACK-NECKED STILT 



Himantopus mexicanus 



The black-necked stilt (PI. Ill) is one of the comparatively few 

 species of shorebirds that have a center of distribution within the 

 Tropics and extend from there northward to within our limits. In 

 the western United States the stilt ranges north to southern Oregon, 

 northern Utah, and Colorado; in the East it is found at present in 

 Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, though formerly it nested as far north 

 as Delaware Bay or possibly even more northern latitudes. 



In the West during the breeding season stilts are found in company 

 with avocets about shallow pools and lakes or on the muddy banks of 

 channels running through lowland marshes. Though usually less 

 common than their larger neighbors, they add to the uproar and 

 excitement when the breeding colonies are invaded. Stilts are not 

 so demonstrative as avocets and remain more in the background, 

 where the steady repetition of their sharp notes furnishes a yelping 

 accompaniment to the more vociferous outbursts of the others. 

 When greatly excited, stilts spring in the air and circle about or, 

 with steadily beating wings, remain stationary a few feet from the 



