THE AVOCET. 651 



tipped light buff ; sides and centre of mantle and inner scapulars 

 sepia or dusky-brown, feathers edged and irregularly marked light 

 buff ; upper tail-coverts and tail tipped light buff, some tail- 

 <?o verts with faint dusky-brown bars towards tip ; wing as in adult 

 but primaries dark sepia, 7th and 8th edged white on inner webs ; 

 innermost secondaries and coverts more or less sepia or suffused 

 same and mottled and marked light buff at tip and sides ; median 

 and distal series of lesser coverts sepia faintly tipped light buff. 



First winter. Male and female. — As adult but fore-head, 

 crown, lores, line below eye and upper -nape sepia, feathers white 

 towards base and bases ill-concealed on lores, fore-head and crown, 

 fore-head more or less intermixed with white ; black of upper -parts 

 browner ; wing as in juvenile except for new innermost secondaries 

 and wing-coverts like those of adult ; juvenile wing-coverts faded 

 and worn. The body-feathers, some or all tail-feathers, some inner- 

 most secondaries and coverts, varying number of median and lesser 

 coverts are moulted from autumn to Jan. First summer. — As 

 :adult summer and only to be distinguished by worn sepia primaries, 

 w r hite edges to 7th and 8th wiien not too abraded and worn sepia 

 juvenile median coverts. Moult apparently as adult but not tail 

 in few birds examined. 



Measurements and structure. — q whig 223-235 mm., tail 74-88, 

 tarsus 88-91, bill from feathers 76-92 (12 measured). $ wing 

 219-232, bill 75-85. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 3rd 

 equal or 2-6 mm. shorter, 4th 6-10 shorter, 5th 15-23 shorter, 

 6th 25-35 shorter. Largest inner secondary between 4th and 6th 

 primaries. Tail almost square, central pair longest. Bill long, 

 flattened, tapering to a point at tip, which is considerably upturned ; 

 nasal groove extending to one -third length of bill. Legs long, 

 tarsus covered with hexagonal scales. Four toes, hind toe small, 

 three front ones imited by a web extending to bases of claws, 

 out concave in outline between toes ; claw of middle toe with inner 

 edge slightly dilated. 



Soft parts. — Bill black ; legs and feet bluish-slate ; iris ($) 

 red or red-brown, ($) hazel. 



•Characters and allied forms. — Other forms occur outside 

 Palsearctie region. Black and white plumage and long upturned 

 hill distinguish this species from any other British wader. Adults 

 -distinguishable from members of same genus by more or less white 

 innermost secondaries. 



Field -characters. — Easily identified in field ; when black up- 

 curved bill is visible this alone provides certain test ; black and 

 white plumage is also good character and wing is not wholly dark 

 as in Stilt. Grey-blue legs, of only moderate length also provide 

 ready means of distinguishing from Stilt. Confiding in habits as a 

 Tuie, and noisy on nesting-ground, flying overhead with often re- 

 peated clear whistling, " Klweet, klweet." Male also has a low 

 Xl Chuck, chuck, chuck, chawy," uttered on ground. (F.C.R.J.) 



