262 PR.ECOCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOL^. 



This bird retires to the south long before the frosts begin ; still, it has been met 

 ■with as far north as latitude 71"^ oO'. 



This Godwit — ^h: Boardman tells me — is found in the neighborhood of Calais, 

 j\le., but is there quite rare. He was informed that a few occur in the summer on 

 Prince EdAvard's Island, Avhere the species is supposed to breed, and where it has been 

 obtained in its breeding-plumage. 



Mr. Ross mentions this Inrd as occurring — although rarely — on the Mackenzie; 

 and 31 r. >rurray and Captain Blakiston both procured it on Hudson's Bay. 



On the coast of Massachusetts it is of very irregular appearance — at least as to 

 numbers — being in some seasons very common. It is stated by Mr. H. A. Purdie to 

 have been quite abundant on the Kew England coast in the fall of 1873. A single 

 specimen Avas obtained at Eastham, jSTov. 3, 1878, by Mr. Frank H. Tileston. 



This species, in its migrations in spring and fall, also visits the interior lakes and 

 rivers. It is a regular visitant at Lake Koskonong, Wisconsin, where, as Mr. Kum- 

 licii informs me, it appeared as early as August 15, in 1873. Mr. Nelson cites it as a 

 not rare migrant in Northern Illinois, where it comes in April and reappears in 

 October. 



According to Pichardson, this species breeds abundantly on the Barren Ground 

 near the Arctic Sea, where it feeds on insects and shelly mollusca, which it obtains in 

 the small sphagnous lakes. In all its manners and habits it is similar to the Great 

 ]\[arbled Godwit. 



According to Giraud, this bird is met with on the shores of Long Island, where, 

 howevei*, it is not so plentiful as the Marbled GodAvit. It is known to the hunters 

 of that island as the " Ring-tailed Marlin," and is so called from the white band 

 crossing the tail-feathers. A few are shot every season on those shores, and some 

 are also procured on the more eastern sea-coast. Giraud adds that it is by no means 

 a rare bird in the Middle States, though not abundant. In its habits he regards it as 

 nearly allied with the fedoa, with which it sometimes associates. 



This species appears to have escaped the notice of Wilson, and to have been but 

 very imperfectly known either to Audubon or to Nuttall. The latter considered it an 

 infrequent visitor to the Eastern and Middle States, and conjectured that it might 

 be more common on our nortlnvestern coast ; but this is quite problematical. Two 

 specimens only are recorded by Mr. Dall as having been taken near the mouth of 

 the Yukon River. With this exception, none of our own explorers mention its occur- 

 rence on the Pacific shores. Mr. Dall regarded it as quite rare on the Yukon. jMr. 

 E. Adams, however, met with it in Alaska, on the coast of Norton Sound, where, as 

 he states (" Ibis," 1878), a few of these birds frequented the marshes on the river- 

 banks, to Avhich they exclusively confined themselves, living upon the worms found 

 there in abundance. The first seen were feeding in some shallow pools, on the 21st 

 of May. He afterward met Avith the same species at Port Clarence. 



Nuttall did not see more than tAVO or three pairs in the course of a season. These 

 were found on the neighboring coast, near Boston, and Avere called the '' Goose Bird." 

 One pair, obtained about September 8, Avere very fat and Avell-flavored, and had been 

 feeding iipon Llua and other vegetable matter. He noticed this species in the 

 Boston market from the 6th to the 30th of Sei^tember. 



Audubon regarded this as a very rare species and unknoAvn along the coast south 

 of Maryland. He first met Avith it in September, 1832, in the Boston market. He 

 afterward received specimens from Pictou, N. S. ; and on his Avay to Labrador, Avas 

 informed by the inhabitants of the Magdalen Islands that this species breeds in the 

 marshes at the extremity of the principal island. He met with none in Labrador or 



