254 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF 



Family CHARADRIID^. Genus LiMOSA. 



Sub-family TOTANIN^. 



B L A C K-T AILED GODWIT. 



LiMOSA MELANURA, Leiskr. 



(British : Formerly bred ; regular spring and autumn coasting 

 migrant.) 



Single Brooded. Laying season, May and June^ according 

 to locality. 



Breeding area : Western Palaearctic region. The 

 Black-tailed Godwit breeds in Iceland and the Faroes. 

 On Continental Europe it breeds in Belgium, Holland, 

 Denmark, Scandinavia (occasionally as far north even 

 as the Arctic Circle), Central and Southern Russia, 

 Poland, and Northern Germany. In Asia it breeds in 

 South-west Siberia as far north as lat. 60°, and as far 

 east as the western tributaries of the Obb, and in Western 

 Turkestan. 



Breeding habits : The Black-tailed Godwit begins 

 to leave its winter quarters in Africa in February, and 

 continues to move north until the middle of March ; it 

 travels somewhat slowly, and does not reach its breeding 

 grounds until April or May. It is gregarious during 

 winter and whilst on passage, but the flocks disband at 

 the nesting places and scatter themselves in pairs over 

 their haunts, many nests often being made, however, 

 within a small area of suitable ground. The favourite 

 breeding places of this Godwit are marshes and swampy 

 meadows. The nest, invariably made upon the ground, 

 is usually well concealed amongst the herbage, and is 

 often placed in a tussock of sedgy grass. A dry spot in 

 the marsh is generally selected. The nest is merely a 

 hollow about three inches deep, but rather neatly lined 



