648 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Second winter. Female. — As adult female but crown to below 

 eye and ear -coverts (not fore-head and lores which are white),, 

 mouse-grey ; nape, sides of neck and upper-mantle as 2nd winter 

 male. This plumage is acquired by a complete moult July to Dec. 

 Second summer. — Moult as in male.* As adult female but crown 

 more or less intermixed with worn or new sooty-brown or mouse- 

 grey feathers (sometimes whole crown down to below eye and in- 

 cluding ear-coverts mouse-grey) ; nape greyish -white, feathers 

 sometimes tipped mouse -grey or blackish mouse -grey ; upper- 

 mantle a mixture of new white and worn pale mouse -grey or 

 greyish-white feathers (nape and upper-mantle sometimes pale 

 mouse-grey, feathers narrowly tipped white). 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 242.5-251 mm., tail 

 80-90, tarsus 119-137, bill from feathers 60-68 (12 measured). 

 ? wing 222-240, bill 57-66. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 

 3rd 13-21 mm. shorter, 4th 29-38 shorter, 5th 46-59 shorter, 6th 

 61-75 shorter. Longest inner secondaries between 6th and 8th 

 primaries. Tail almost square but when fresh central pair projects 

 beyond rest and 4th pair is shortest. Bill long, straight, slender, 

 tapering to a point, tip very slightly upturned, culmen decurved 

 at tip ; nostrils basal. Legs very long, tarsus covered with 

 hexagonal scales. Hind toe absent, outer and middle toes webbed 

 at base up to about 1st joint, middle and inner ones slightly 

 webbed at base ; claw on middle toe with inner edge slightly 

 dilated. 



Soft parts. — Bill (ad.) black ; legs and feet (winter) rose -red , 

 (summer) vermilion ; iris crimson. 



Characters and allied forms. — Other forms occur outside 

 Palsearctic region. Long legs, almost straight bill and metallic 

 green and white plumage distinguish species. 



Field -characters. — Quite unmistakable ; excessively long pink 

 " legs," straight black bill and boldly contrasted black and white 

 plumage serving at once to identify it. In flight legs extend far out 

 beyond tail. At once distinguished from Avocet, which has also- 

 black and white colour scheme, by straight bill, no white on wings 

 and colour and length of leg. Not shy and very noisy and demon- 

 strative at nest. (F. C.R.J.) 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds close to or actually in the shallow 

 lagoons where it feeds. Nest. — Composed of bits of stalks, etc., 

 mixed with mud. Sometimes standing in water and at other times 

 in muddy ground raised well above surface. Probably apparent 

 difference often caused by variation in water-level. Eggs. — 

 Normally 4, occasionally 5 and sometimes 3 only, clay-colour in 

 ground with black spots and irregular blotches and a few ashy shell - 

 marks ; occasionally almost unmarked. Average of 100 eggs, 



* Sometimes body -moult appears to be complete and central pair of tail- 

 feathers, some innermost secondaries and coverts, some median and lessee 

 coverts are also renewed. — A. CM. 



