124 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XIV 
other was constructed in the same manner, but was quite well lined with weed 
stems, so that the eg'gs did not touch the ground. There was no evident attempt 
at concealment, the nests all being placed in small open sjjaces from six inches to a 
foot in diameter, and with nothing to protect them : hut the color of the eggs was 
sufficient ])rotection to make them quite inconspicuous. 
The birds continually showed signs of uneasiness, staying usually at the 
edge of the water and occasionally flying over us with their loud, ringing cry. 
Sometimes they would affect a broken wing, but the effort was rather awkward 
and the deceijtion was very apparent. They acted much as a Killdeer does and 
while quite demonstrative, did not betray the wdiereabouts of the nests by their 
actions, only that they flushed from them directly, instead of running along the 
Fig. 51. XKST AND KGGS OF AVOCET 
ground before taking wing. When not flying about overhead the birds often lit 
on the wxiter where they swam easily and lightly, and they seemed at all times 
very anxious to get back to the nests, returning as soon as we were a short dis- 
tance from the nests. 
Upon our return to the island on June 21, we found that the nests had been 
disturbed: two of them were deserted and about half of the eggs w'ere missing. 
On July 28 we found to our sorrow' that all the nests had been destroyed; at least 
so we surmised as we did not find any young birds. 
On May 31, 1908, we visited the island again and found to our surprise that 
the colony was nesting fully five weeks earlier than in the j^receding spring. On 
this date we found eight nests: seven on the island proper and one on the sand- 
