. Juvenile Instructor . mon of our shore birds isthe black-necked stilt otherwise knownas white snipe, tilt, long-shanksor lawyer. Unlike its cousin, theavocet, its bill is scarcely or not at allcurved upwards; it has no hind toe;and it has but a small web between theouter and middle toes. Whether swimming, wading or step-ping about the mud the stilt is evergraceful and well balanced, its extra-ordinary long Icigs being perfectlyadapted for its methods of obtaininga livelihood. Particularly noticeable isthe birds habit of raising its black-pointed wings in a pretty pose at themoment of alighti
. Juvenile Instructor . mon of our shore birds isthe black-necked stilt otherwise knownas white snipe, tilt, long-shanksor lawyer. Unlike its cousin, theavocet, its bill is scarcely or not at allcurved upwards; it has no hind toe;and it has but a small web between theouter and middle toes. Whether swimming, wading or step-ping about the mud the stilt is evergraceful and well balanced, its extra-ordinary long Icigs being perfectlyadapted for its methods of obtaininga livelihood. Particularly noticeable isthe birds habit of raising its black-pointed wings in a pretty pose at themoment of alighting; and even whenfeeding it will occasionally thus raiseits wings just as one would stretch hisarms from ennui. Occasionally it willtilt its body after the manner of theyellow leg, especially just prior toflight: and when awing it flies straightand gracefully, its striking black andwhite plumage and loriig red legs clear-ly disclosing its identity. Its food which consists of insect! March nji/ THE BLACK-NECKED STILT IBs. BLACK-NKCKKD STILT(Himantopus mexicanus) Adult male in breeding plumage—Forehead, a spot behind the eye, lores, entireunder parts, rump, and upper tail coverts, white; rest of the head, neck posteriorly,black scapulars and wings, glossy black, with a greenish reflection; tail, gray; bill,black; iris, red; legs and feet, lake-red. Female—top of head, black and scapulars brownish slate; otherwise similar to male. Young—Like female but the feathers of the back, scapulars, and tertails. borderedwith buff; black on the head and neck finely mottled with buff. Length ; wing ; culmen ; tarsus and larvre. is usually ,s:leanerl from thesurface of shallow water or fromaquatic plants where of course it ex-ists in ofreater abundance than in thedenths. Its nest may consist merely of as1is;ht depression in sand or on weteround, or of a bulkv sfrass affairplaced suffcientlv hig^h that the eggsare dry. The three or four eggs arebuff or olive brown, thic
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Keywords: ., bookauthorgeorgequaylecannon182, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910
