THE BLACKWINGED STILT. 
815 
Totanince , by its extraordinary long legs, which are carried 
stretched out behind. When flying easily it will often 
glide along for some moments, and even at other times it 
does not move its wings very rapidly. The Stilt only flies 
high when pursued, and usually at about gunshot distance 
over the earth or water, as the case may be. Sometimes 
it squats flat on the ground, with its legs bent under it, 
and is but rarely seen standing on one leg. It remains 
awake and active up to a late hour of the night, and 
is as active in the bright moonlight as during the 
daytime. 
Like other members of the family the Stilt is a sociable 
bird, and to see a solitary individual is an event of rare 
occurrence. It is only in its native land that this bird is 
seen in pairs, and then only during the breeding season; 
the entire family usually keep in close company. In the 
neighbourhood of lakes they flock together with Avocets, 
Godwits, Sandpipers, &c. On the Blue Nile I once saw 
four of these birds associating on the best of terms with 
a Bedshank (Totanus calidris ), and a Duck which was 
unknown to me. If one member of the family rose, the 
others followed; and the Stilts especially kept very close 
to the Duck, which appeared to be the leader of the 
united company. I made them rise some ten or a dozen 
times, and on each occasion I always remarked the same 
disposition to keep together. The Stilt is a peaceable and 
quiet bird, never showing any disposition to quarrel with 
other members of its species. During the breeding 
season, even, the different pairs live together in the 
greatest harmony. 
Its food consists of all kinds of small aquatic worms : 
it picks insects and worms with skill from off the 
surface of the water, and will also take them in very 
5 p 
