The American Avocet 
Taken in Merced County 
Photo by the A ulhor 
A VENTURESOME INFANT 
Once, for experi¬ 
ment’s sake, we followed, 
and the waders flopped 
along in manifest de¬ 
light, coaxing us up on 
shore and making off 
through the sage-brush 
with broken legs and use¬ 
less wings. But we came 
back, finding it better to 
let the birds make the 
advances. Mr. Bowles 
hit upon the scheme of 
splashing gently in the 
water, and it served ad¬ 
mirably to excite the 
birds and make them 
reckless; and the click, 
Taken in Washington Photo by the Author 
NEST AND EGGS OF AMERICAN AVOCET 
1200 
