HIMANTOPUS LEUCOCEPHALUS, Goud.
White-headed Stilt.

Himantopus leucocephalus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. 1837, p. 26; and in Syn. Birds of Australia,
Part II.

Djan-jar-uk, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia.

 

A.rnoucn the extreme length of the legs of this bird, as compared with the small size of its body, would
seem incompatible with easy carriage and graceful deportment, this is in reality not the case, for I never
saw a bird which combined more grace of movement and elegance of appearance than the White-headed
Stilt, which I for the first time observed in the month of December, near Mr. Edward Uhr’s station on
the banks of the river Mokai, where it was associated in small flocks of from six to twenty in number,
and which, by their picturesque appearance as they ran along the margin and knee-deep in the shallows
of the stream, added greatly to the beauty of the scene. This part of the Mokai was one of the most
beautiful, and to me, one of the most interesting localities, I had visited in New South Wales, and I there-
fore encamped on its banks for some time, during which I experienced much hospitality from Mr. Uhr,
and which I feel much pleasure in publicly acknowledging. I had no difficulty in obtaining as many
specimens of this fine bird as I desired ; for when shot at it would merely pass down the river and alight
again at a short distance, or fly backwards and forwards in front of the camp. The flocks were composed
of both sexes, in the finest state of plumage; and I ascertained by dissection of numerous specimens
that the larger birds were the males, which circumstance indicates a greater alliance to the true Plovers
than to the Sandpipers. In this locality the Stilts were feeding entirely on insects and small shelled snails,
which food was procured on the margin of the stream, or by wading into the shallows : they ran about with
great celerity, displaying many graceful, lively actions; their flight on the contrary was heavy and inelegant,
and their long legs streaming out behind gave them a very grotesque appearance: while on the wing they
continually uttered a plaintive piping cry, as if of distress, but which they seldom emitted when on the
cround.,

| was unable to obtain any information respecting the nidification of this bird, or to arrive at any conclu-
sion as to its being a stationary or migratory species. _ It appears to possess an extensive range over the
continent, as besides killing it myself in New South Wales, I have received specimens both from South
and Western Australia. In the neighbourhood of Perth it is sometimes seen in company with the Avocet
( Recurvirostra rubricollis), feeding upon freshwater shrimps and aquatic insects.

Back of the neck, back and wings glossy greenish black, the rest of the plumage pure white ; irides
pink, margined externally with a deep red ring ; bill black ; legs and feet deep pink flesh colour, becoming

red after death.

The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size.