50 



LONG-LEGGED AVOSET. 



While the females are sitting, the males are either wading 

 through the ponds, or roaming over the adjoining marshes; but 

 should a person make his appearance, the whole collect together 

 in the air, flying with their long legs extended behind them, keep- 

 ing up a continual yelping note of click click click. Their flight is 

 steady, and not in short sudden jerks like that of the Plover. As 

 they frequently alight on the bare marsh, they drop their wings, 

 stand with their legs half bent, and trembling as if unable to sus- 

 tain the burden of their bodies. In this ridiculous posture they 

 will sometimes stand for several minutes, uttering a earring sound, 

 while from the corresponding quiverings of their wings and long 

 legs, they seem to balance themselves with great difliiculty. This 

 singular manoeuvre is, no doubt, intended to induce a belief that 

 they may be easily caught, and so turn the attention of the person 

 from the pursuit of their nests and young to themselves. The Red- 

 necked Avoset, whom we have introduced in the present volume, 

 practices the very same deception, in the same ludicrous manner, 

 and both alight indiscriminately on the ground or in the water. 

 Both will also occasionally swim for a few feet, when they chance 

 in wading to lose their depth, as I have had several times an op- 

 portunity of observing. 



The name by which this bird is known on the sea coast is 

 the Stilt, or Tilt, or Long-shanks. They are but sparingly dis- 

 persed over the marshes, having, as has been already observed, 

 their particular favorite spots ; while in large intermediate tracts, 

 there are few or none to be found. They occasionally visit the 

 shore, wading about in the water and in the mud in search of food, 

 which they scoop up very dexterously with their delicately formed 

 bills. On being wounded while in the water, they attempt to es- 

 cape by diving, at which they are by no means expert. In au- 

 tumn their flesh is tender, and well tasted. They seldom raise 

 more than one brood in the season, and depart for the south early 

 in September. As they are well known in Jamaica, it is probable 



