THE AVOCET. 649 



44x31. Max.: 47.9x31.5 and 45.2x32.5. Min. : 38.8x28 mm. 



Breeding -season. — From early May onward in south Spain, but 

 later in south-east Europe. Incubation. — No details. Single brooded. 



Food. — Picked up from surface of water ; insects and floating 

 larvae (coleoptera, chiefly water-beetles, diptera, etc.), small mol- 

 lusca (Physa, Succinea, etc.), tadpoles, and probably fish and frog 

 spawn. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Rare vagrant. Chiefly in early 

 summer, most south and east coasts England, especially Norfolk 

 (about seventeen). Elsewhere very rare vagrant : Cambs. (one), 

 Notts, (one), Oxon. (two), Berks, (four), Surrey (eight), Gloucester 

 (one), Wales (one), Cheshire (one), Dumfries (two or three), Wig- 

 townshire (one), Clyde (two), Shetlands (one), Orkneys (two), Tay 

 (old doubtful record), Moray (one and another doubtful), Ireland 

 seven occasions. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds in suitable localities in south 

 France (delta of Rhone), Spain and Portugal, in Sicily, Hungary 

 to Black Sea basin and Balkan Peninsula, Cyprus, in many places 

 in Africa, from Marocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt to south 

 Africa, and in south Asia. Recently nested Belgium in flooded 

 area. Northern birds are migratory, wintering in Africa and south 

 Asia. Different subspecies in America ; Sunda Is. and Philippines 

 to Australia ; New Zealand ; Hawaiian Islands. 



Genus RECURVIROSTRA L. 



Recurvirostra Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 151 (1758 — Monotype : 

 R. avosetta). 



Bill flattened, compressed, very long, strongly recurved, taper- 

 ing to very thin point, somewhat soft and flexible. Nostrils slit- 

 like. Bluish legs long, toes connected by deeply cut out membrane, 

 hind toe quite minute. Wings long and pointed, tail square. 

 Colours black and white. Four species according to most authors, 

 unless both American and Australian forms are looked upon as 

 subspecies, though R. andina of Chile and Bolivia must be kept 

 specifically distinct. 



RECURVIROSTRA AVOSETTA 



421. Recurvirostra avosetta L— THE AVOCET. 



Recurvirostra Avosetta Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 151 (1758 — 



Europe. Restricted typical locality : Oeland). 



Recurvirostra avocetta Linnaeus, Yarrell, in, p. 299 ; Saunders, p. 561. 



Description. — Adult male. Winter. — Fore-head, crown, lores, 

 region round eye and narrow line below eye and nape black ; small 

 white patch above and below eye, lower -nape and mantle white ; 

 sides of mantle and inner scapulars black, forming two broad 



