242 
SNIPES AND SANDPIPERS 
upward. Ads. in winter and juv . — Generally similar, but head and neck 
white or pearl-gray. L., 16*50 ; W., 9*00; Tar., 3*75; B., 3*75. 
Range. — N. A. Breeds from e. Ore., cen. Alberta, and s. Man. (rarely n. 
to Great Slave Lake) s. to s. Calif., s. N. Mex., nw. Tex., n. Iowa, and cen. 
Wise.; winters from s. Calif., and s. Tex. to s. Guatemala; casual from Ont. 
and N. B. to Fla. and the West Indies, but rare e. of the Miss. River. 
Long Island, two records. 
Nest , a slight depression in the ground, near water. Eggs , 3-4, pale olive 
or buffy clay-color, thickly spotted with chocolate, 1*95 x 1*35. Date , 
Loveland, Colo., June 3. 
Avocets are common birds in parts of the interior, but are rare on 
the Atlantic coast. They frequent shores and shallow pools, and in 
searching for shells, crustaceans, etc., their peculiar recurved bill is 
used in a most interesting manner. Dropping it beneath the surface 
of the water until its convexity touches the bottom, they move rapidly 
forward, and with every step swing their bill from side to side, as a 
mower does his scythe. In this way they secure food which the muddy 
water would prevent them from seeing. They are very noisy when 
nesting and with a loud, sharp plee-eek charge bravely toward one, 
swinging aside only when a few feet away. 
226 . Himantopus mexieanus {Mull.). Black-necked Stilt. Ad. 
cf. — A white spot above and another below eye; front of head, front of neck, 
lower back, rump, and underparts white; tail grayish; rest of plumage glossy, 
greenish black. Ad. 9 . — Similar, but with back fuscous-brown. Juv . — 
Similar, but whole upperparts margined with rusty. L., 15*00; W., 9*00; 
Tar., 4*15; B., 2*00. 
Range . — Temperate N. A. and n. S. A. Breeds from cen. Ore., n. Utah, 
and s. Colo, to s. Calif., s. N. Mex., s. Tex., coast of La., and in Mex., and 
from cen. Fla., and Bahamas throughout the West Indies to n. Brazil and 
Peru; formerly bred to N. J. ; winters from s. L. Calif., s. Tex., s. La., and s. 
Fla. s. through Cen. Am. and the West Indies to n. Brazil, Peru, and the 
Galapagos; casual north in migration to Nebr., Wise., and N. B. 
Long Island, two records. 
Nest , near water, a slight depression in the ground lined with grasses. 
Eggs, 3-4, olive or buffy clay-color, thickly spotted with chocolate, 1*70 x 
1*25. Date , Fla. Keys, Apl. 25; Brownsville, Tex., Apl. 26. 
Stilts are fond of wading in shallow ponds in both fresh and salt 
marshes, and are graceful and alert in their movements. During the 
nesting season they become very noisy, and express their solicitude for 
their eggs or young by the most surprising demonstrations. After 
nightfall I have heard Stilts utter their sharp ip-ip-ip as they darted 
erratically about over the marshes. 
1908. Chapman, F. M., Camps and Cruises, 288 (nesting). 
26. Family Scolopacid^:. Snipes, Sandpipers, Etc. 
(Figs. 42 a, 6 , 43 6 , c.) 
About one hundred species are considered as belonging to this 
family. They are distributed throughout the world, but during the 
breeding season are mostly confined to the northern parts of the North- 
ern Hemisphere. Some forty-five species are found in North America. 
