419 
Ornithology of Cyprus . 
(1787) lie shot on the beach near Armidia (Ormidhia, not lar 
from Larnaca) a bird of this species. This is the only record 
of the Oyster-catcher in Cyprus with which I am acquainted. 
The species has been included hitherto by the other writers 
solely on account of its mention in Unger and Kotschy's 
list, doubtless copied from Sibthorp. The origin of the 
record is as given above. 
1046. Recurvirostra avocetta Linn. 
The Avocet is another pleasing addition to the Cypriote 
list. A pair were seen at Larnaca salt-lake at the end of 
December 1909, and a male bird captured was kindly sent 
to me alive by Mr. W. J. Ansell, I.S.O. 
1047. Himantopus candidus Bonnat. 
The Black-winged Stilt was another species included by 
Sibthorp in his list. Lord Lilford found it common in May 
about the freshwater marshes, and Guillemard met with it 
in some numbers near Larnaca in early April, 1887, and 
near Famagusta at the end of May, 1888. 
It seems to have been accidentally omitted by Madarasz 
from his paper, f Ueber die Vogel Cyperns/ 
The Black-winged Stilt is a regular visitor on the spring 
and autumn migrations, and would no doubt nest in the 
island every summer if conditions were suitable. Mr. Nicolls 
informs me that since 1904 he has seen these birds every 
spring at the Acheritou reservoir, sometimes in fair numbers, 
i. e. ten or a dozen pairs. Once or twice—notably in 1905— 
when the water was maintained at a height which exposed 
several small islets, they bred in company with a few pairs 
of the Common and Lesser Terns and of the Spur-winged 
Plover. In May 1905, Mr. Nicolls collected there a number 
of eggs, two of which are now in the possession of the Cyprus 
Natural History Society. In the spring of 1909 Horsbrugh 
found the Stilt in plenty at Acheritou, from the 23rd of 
March till the 5th of April, and obtained a good series. There 
were probably thirty pairs, but they were seen in flocks of 
from six to twenty or thirty individuals : they did not nest, 
as the water was practically all drained off by early May. 
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