40 AVOSET. 



forehead dusky white; the head, neck, and upper part of the breast, 

 of a deep cream-colour, in some inclining to ferruginous, under the 

 chin palest; lower part of the neck behind white; back black; the 

 under parts from the breast white; the first and third order of wing 

 coverts, with the outer part of the wing between, and the greater 

 quills, black ; the middle coverts and some of the secondaries white; 

 some of the last tinged with ash-colour; the legs and thighs together 

 measure about eight inches, the bare part above the knees two, 

 colour dusky; in some pale blue ; some have the whole of the back 

 and rump white. 



Inhabits North America, and was found by Dampier in Shark's 

 Bay, on the Coast of New-Holland ; it is there scarce, but occurs 

 in drawings brought from thence; it has only been seen on some 

 Lagoons between Port Jackson and Broken Bay ; the native name 

 Antiquatish. It varies in having more or less white; and in young 

 birds, the white is mottled, or freckled with dusky. 



The American Avoset is first seen on the coast of Cape May late 

 in April, rears its young, and departs again to the south in October; 

 is there called The Lawyer; it breeds in the shallow pools of New 

 Jersey, associated with the Common Sort; the nest built among thick 

 tufts of grass, composed of small twigs, dry grass, sea weed, &c. 

 raised to the height of several inches; the eggs four, of a dull olive, 

 with irregular blotches of black, and others of a fainter tint. 



The female differs in being two inches shorter than the male. 



3— RED-NECKED AVOSET. 



Recurvirostra rubricollis, Avocette a Cou marron, Tern. Man. Ed. iL 592. 



LENGTH fifteen inches and a half. Face, head, and upper part 

 of the back rufous chestnut ; lower part of the neck, back, scapulars, 

 all the under parts, with the tail, pure white ; on the scapulars a 

 broad band of black, which extends on each side, the length of the 

 back; the quills next the body black. — Inhabits the shores of the south 

 of Asia, and is to be met with in various ornithological collections. 



