The labor of nidification is very trifling, and sometimes a nest of grass is roughly constructed ; and now 

 and then this apology for a nest may be discovered on a log of drift-wood ; much more frequently, however, 

 a slight depression in the sandy spit answers all the requirements of the Stilt as a nesting place, and it 

 is never very far from the water. The young can run almost as soon as they are hatched ; when disturbed 

 they conceal themselves behind stones or some other shelter in the most artful manner. The parent birds 

 exhibit the utmost assiduity in attempting to lead iutruders from their eggs or young, and their numerous 

 cunning devices are carried on with surprising cleverness and perseverance.' " 



The eggs resemble those of the 77. leucocephala so closely that a separate description is not 

 necessary. The size, however, is a little larger, the Black Stilt's being l'8in. by l'Sin. 



The sexes are alike except that the female shows less gloss on wings and tail, and a stronger 

 tinge of brown on the under parts. The birds go through so many transitional stages of plumage that 

 naturalists have been led into many mistakes of classification. 



The adult in summer has head, neck, and all under surfaces brownish-black, inclining to slatey- 

 grey on the face and towards the base of lower mandible ; back, rump, and upper surface of wings and 

 tail, glossy greenish- black ; irides and eyelids, crimson ; legs and feet, pinky-red. 



In winter, the crown and sides of the head, hind part of neck, and the whole of the abdomen, 

 sooty black ; wings and tail, glossy greenish -black ; rest of plumage, pure white. 



Total length, lain. 



The young bird has the forehead, sides of the neck, and all under parts, pure white ; crown of 

 head, mantle, and scapulars, blackish-brown, each feather margined at the tip with fulvous ; hind part of 

 the neck, and between shoulders, dark grey, notched with paler grey ; back and rump, white ; upper and 

 lower surface of wings, as well as the auxiliary plumes, black ; the upper wing-coverts and the long inner 

 secondaries margined with fulvous, and the primaries tipped with light grey ; tail feathers, greyish-brown ; 

 the outer ones white on their inner webs, with an apical spot of brown. 



The chicks are covered with dark brown down ; bill and legs, greyish-black. 



Habitat : New Zealand. 



