or little-known Limicolse. 
249 
I have already referred to the wide geographical range of 
the present species ; and but for the above digression upon its 
habits, into which I was led from a consideration of Dr. Cul¬ 
len's remarks upon its mode of nidification in the Dobrudscha, 
I should have proceeded to trace its distribution beyond the 
European continent. There can be no doubt, from the sea¬ 
sons at which it has been noted by many observers on both 
shores of the Mediterranean, that it passes southwards and 
eastwards in the autumn, returning in an opposite direction 
in the spring. Thus, according to Mr. C. A. Wright (Ibis, 
1864, p. 149), it has been met with in Malta and Gozo in 
spring and autumn. Lord Lilford met with it in Epirus in 
December. Mr. O. Salvin saw it at Zana and Djendeli in 
June; but “ at Chot Saboun, the eastern extremity of the 
marsh of Zana, the bird was most numerous/'’ Canon Tris¬ 
tram found it at Tuggurt, south of the Atlas, in January. 
Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub, Mr. E. C. Taylor, Capt. Shelley 
(who saw it in February and March), and others bear testi¬ 
mony to its spending the winter in Egypt and Nubia*; wdiile 
Dr. Kirk and Dr. Hartlaub respectively affirm that it regu¬ 
larly visits the Zambesi region and Madagascar. Travelling 
down the west coast, in the same way, by Senegambia and 
Damar aland, where Anders son frequently shot specimens, it 
finds its way into Cape Colony, as we know from the obser¬ 
vations of Dr. Andrew Smith, and the more recent investi¬ 
gations of Mr. E. L. Layard. 
Andersson's note on this species, as furnished by Mr. J. 
H. Gurney in the f Birds of Damara Land/ runs as follows :— 
“ This handsome and peculiar bird is occasionally found on 
the south-west coast of Africa, and also occurs, though less 
frequently, inland. In the Cape Colony, however, I have 
found the case, as regards its distribution, slightly reversed. 
I may mention as inland localities for this species Objim- 
binque, where I have seen it once or twice, and Ondonga, 
where it was shot by Axel. At certain seasons the Avocet 
is not uncommon on the coast at Walvisch Bay, Sandwich 
* Dr. Brehm believes that the N.E. African form may be distinguished 
a a Recurvirostra halebi ; but in this opinion 1 cannot concur. 
