BLACK-KECKED STILT. 
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Color. Adult. Forehead to eye, line back of eye, lower eyelid, rump, upper tail coverts, tail, and under portions, 
white; under wing coverts and remaining portions, black with a purplish luster. 
Yov.ny. Quite similar to the adult but the black markings are not as clear and the tail is tinged with ashy. Iris and 
legs, red, and bill, black, in all stages. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Readily known by the nearly straight bill, long legs, and absence of hind toe and prominent toe membrane. Distribu¬ 
ted in summer, throughout the United States. Rare on the Eastern coast north of the Carolinas, wintering south of the 
United States. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens from Florida. Length, 14 65; stretch, 2f>‘70; wing, B'75; tail, 3 65; bill, 2 60; 
tarsus, '4*72. Longest specimen, 15*00; greatest extent of wing, 28’50, longest wing, 9-00; tail, 3‘75; bill, 2'75; tarsus, 
4'50. Shortest speeimep, 14 25; smallest extent of wing, 25‘00; shortest wing, 7'50; tail, 2 - 50; bill, 2 45; tarsus, 3’96. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGOS. 
Eygs, placed on the ground in a slight depression of the soil, three or four in number, rather pyriform in shape, ashy- 
yellow m color, spotted, blotched, and lined irregularly and quite thickly, but seldom coarsely, with yellowish-brown of 
varying shades. Dimensions from l'15x 152 to l'25x l - 76. 
HABITS. 
On the fifteenth of March, the Black-necked Stilts ma.de their first appearance at Salt 
Lake in Middle Florida. At first there were but one or two pairs, then they came pour¬ 
ing in, and soon, whenever I walked over the marshes, their*harsh cries resounded on all 
sides. This was my first acquaintance with the bird and I spent many hours watching 
their singular movements, until they became perfectly familiar to me, but they always in¬ 
terested me and I often found myself observing them, even after I had lived among them 
for months. 
As may readily be inferred from a glance at the birds, the Black-necked Stilts run 
very rapidly but in the midst of their career, they will pause suddenly, bend their long legs, 
and pick up something from the ground, then off again after more food. Their favorite 
method of feeding, however, v T as to wade in the shallow pools, often becoming submerged to 
the body, and I have frequently seen them evading in this manner among flocks of Ducks, 
consisting of several species. When alarmed while in the water, they will raise their long 
wings and rise as lightly as if on the land. After they have finished their meal, they re¬ 
turn to the shore and squat quietly down in groups but each individual faces the wind, es¬ 
pecially if it be blowing hard. They are not shy birds as a rule, allowing one to approach 
within a few yards, but if the intruder go too near, they will give a bow or two, as if bal¬ 
ancing themselves, then rise with a harsh scream which becomes continuous when they are 
badly frightened. 
On the marshes of Indian River, there are certain spots, especially near the water, on 
which vegetation never grows. Early in April, I observed that the Stilts were frequent¬ 
ing these places and on the twenty-third, found the birds nesting on them, the eggs being 
placed on the naked soil in a slight depression. It was quite easy to find the eggs, as the 
birds would not start until I was close to them and if I did not at first perceive where one 
got up, I had only to retreat a short distance, when the unsuspicious bird would quietly 
walk back to her nest, bend her long legs, and sit down. The note, at this time, was quite 
different from that given earlier in the season, as they now uttered short syllables sound¬ 
ing like put , put , put , repeated rapidly, that of the males being harsh, while the females 
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