NESTS AXD EGGS 01- AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 80Q 



Nest and Eggs. — No doubt resemble those of the Bl.ock-tailed Godwit 

 (Limosa limosa). 



Observations. — Tliis bii'd is the eastern ally of the Bar-tailed Godwit 

 of Eiu'ope, and, as Mr. Seebohm obsei-\-es, it is impossible to say wlici-o the 

 two foniis meet, but lie suggests most probably on the Taimyr Peuiusula. 

 The eastern colon}- of these Godwits passes the coasts of Japan, Man- 

 churia and China on migration, and winter in the Malayan Ai-chipelago 

 and Australasia. Its presence has been noted in all the States, Tasmania, 

 and in some of the outlying islands of the South Pacific, One October 

 (1898), I saw scores of them exhibited for sale in the Melboiu-ne mai-ket. 



Mr. Borcligre\iuk, of Antai'ctic fame, showed me three of the bii'ds 

 which lie shot on one of the islands of the far south — Campbell, I think 

 it was — duiing the cruise of the whaler " Antarctic," 1894. Of coiu-se 

 we usually only see the BaiTed-rumped Godwit here in its winter or non- 

 breeding di-ess, which niaj' be described thus — all the upper surface is a 

 mottled brownish-gi'ey ; iiimp and upper tail coverts conspicuously ban'ed 

 (hence the vernacular name) with bro^vn and white, while the midemeath 

 pai'ts of the bnds are greyish-wliite. Tlie lengthened bill is liglit-colom-ed 

 at the base, blending into a brownish tip ; legs dark-brown or black. 



However, Gould mentions ha\-ing received from Mr. Waterhouse, 

 Adelaide, a specimen, which was said to have been obtained in the 

 Northern Territoiy, in red or summer dress. The bird in its winter 

 plumage so resembles a large Snipe that it is frequently mistaken for 

 one of the family ; and, like the Snipe, is excellent eating. Gould foimd 

 the Ban-ed-iiimped Godwit in gi-eat abimdance in company with Ciuiewy, 

 Oyster Catchei-s, and Sandpipers at Pitwater, in Tasmania, feeding on 

 the extensive flats left bajre by the receding tide. That gi'eat 

 ornithologist also observed it on the sandy flats of Spencer Gidf, and on 

 the sandbanks at the mouths of rivers in New South Wales, and there- 

 fore we may easily suppose the bird is found in like situations tlu-oughout 

 the whole of our coasts. Its chief food is smaU-slielled moUiisca and 

 marine insects of various kinds. 



The ancient Middendorff gives a figine of the egg, but does not 

 describe it ; nor does he describe the nest — merely mentioning that 

 it is hard to find on the maishy meadows of the tundias. 



622. — Limosa limosa, Linnaeus. — (520) 

 A. melanuroides, Gould. 



BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi., pi. 28. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxiv., p. 3S1. 



Previous Dcscriptiotis 0) Eggs. — Taczanowski : Journ. Orn., p. 104 (1S73) ; 

 Legge : Birds of Ceylon, p. 835 (1880) ; also others. 



Geographical Distrihutiou. — Northern Temtoiy, Queensland, New 

 South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, migrating to Eastern 

 Siberia to breed. 



