AMERICAN A VOSET. 



423 



AMERICAN AVOSET. (Recurvirostra Americana.) 



PLATE LXIIL— Fig. 26. 



Arct. Zool. No. 421. — Lath. Sun. iii. p. 295, No. 2. — Peale's Museum, 

 No. 4250. 



RECURVIROSTRA AMERICANA.— LiNNiEUS.* 



Avocette' Isabelle, Eecurvirostra Americana, Temm. Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 594. — 

 Recurvirostra Americana, Bonap. Synop. p. 345. 



This species, from its perpetual clamour and flippancy of 

 tongue, is called by the inhabitants of Cape May the lawyer ; 

 the comparison, however, reaches no further, for our lawyer 

 is simple, timid, and perfectly inoffensive. 



In describing the long-legged avoset of this volume, the simi- 

 larity between that and the present was taken notice of. This 

 resemblance extends to everything but their colour. I found 

 both these birds associated together on the salt marshes of 

 New Jersey on the 20th of May. They were then breeding. 

 Individuals of the present species were few in respect to the 

 other. They flew around the shallow pools exactly in the 

 manner of the long-legs, uttering the like sharp note of click, 

 click, click, alighting on the marsh or in the water indiscrimi- 

 nately, fluttering their loose wings, and shaking their half-bent 

 legs, as if ready to tumble over, keeping up a continual yelp- 

 ing note. They were, however, rather more shy, and kept at 

 a greater distance. One which I wounded attempted repeat- 

 edly to dive ; but the water was too shallow to permit him to 

 do this with facility. The nest was built among the thick 

 tufts of grass, at a small distance from one of these pools. It 

 was composed of small twigs of a seaside shrub, dry grass, sea- 



* This curious genus contains four known species ; perhaps ere long 

 another may be made out. They nearly resemble each other, and all 

 possess the turned-up bill. In their manners they assimilate generally 

 with the totani, feed like them, and are very clamorous when their nest 

 is approached. Like them, also, though possessed of partially webbed 

 feet, they do not swim or take the water freely, except when wading, or 

 by compulsion. — Ed. 



