15¢) SNIJ‘I‘IS, SANIWII’ERS, ETC.

Generally similar. but head and neck while or peat-Lgruy. I... 16-50; W,, tree; Tina, 3-7:»; 1%.. 37:».

ja’llllf/t.i’l‘t‘lllltk‘l'illl‘ North America; rare or accidental on the Atlantic coast; breeds from Illinois. and rarely 'J‘exas. northward to thc Saskatche— wan; winters aloner thc Uult' coast and southward.

Long Island, A. V.

Al's-t. a slight depression in the ground in marshy places. Esq/s. three to four, pale olive or bully clayAtJUIUI', thickly spotted with chocolate. 1'95 x 1‘35.

Avoeets are common birds in parts of the interior, but are rare on the Atlantic coast. They frequent shores and shallow pools, and in searching for shells. crustaceans. ete., their peculiar recurved bill is used in a most interesting manner. Dropping it beneath the surface of the water until its convexity touches the bottom, they move rap— idly forward. and with every step swing their bill from side to side, as a mower does his scythe. In this way they secure food which the muddy water would prevent them from seeinrr.

226. Eimantopus mexicanus tJ/illL). BLACK-NECKED STILT. All. 5 .7A white spot above and another below the eye; front of the head, front of the neck. lower back. rump. and under parts white; tail grayish ; rest of the plmnage glossy. greenish black. .111. 9 .iSimilar, but with the back fuseous—lnmvn. lm.~>’imilar to the preceding. but head and neck more or less marked with white: back and scapulars bordered with white or whitish. L., 1mm; \\'_. free; THIZ. 4'15; 1%., 2'00.

Il‘dllf/h4-TIY‘]tlk‘tll America. breeding northward to the Gulf coast and “ locally and rarely 7" up the Mississippi Valley as far as Minnesota; rare on the Atlantic coast north of l-‘lorida, but straying sometimes as far as Maine.

Long Island, .\. V.

Jed. a slight depression in the ground lined with grasses. Egg/s, three to four. olive or butiy clay—color. thickly spotted with chocolate. 1‘70 x 1‘25.

Stilts are fond of wading in shallow ponds in salt marshes. and are graceful and alert in their movements. Duringr the nesting season they become very noisy, and at. nightfall I have heard them utter their froglike croak as they darted erratically about over the marshes.

FAMILY SCOLOPACIDE. SNIPES. SANDPIPERS, ETC.

About one hundred species are considered as belonging to this family. They are distributed throughout the world, but during the breeding s arson are mostly confined to the northern parts of the north- ern hemisphere. Some forty-five speeies are found in North Ann-rim. \Vith the l’lovcrs they constitute the great group known as Shore Birds or Bay Ilirds. and with few exceptions the_' are rarely found far from the vicinity of water. Generally speaking. they are more abun- dant on the coast than in the interior. but many species are quite as numerous inland as they are near the sea, As a rule, they migrate