SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 95 



The sanderlings are sometimes foimd on the inland lake shores and 

 dm-ing migrations are abundant on the coasts, picking along the 

 sandy beaches, chasing the retreating waves, and catching their food 

 from the squirming life left on the sandy shore. 



GENUS LIMOSA. 



General Characters. — Bill long and slender, straight, or slightly inclined 

 upwards, whole front and back of tarsus covered with transverse scutellae. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1. Tail finely barred with cinnamon and dusky .... fedoa. p. 05. 

 r. Tail black, tip and base white haeniastica. p. 95. 



249. Limosa fedoa (Linn.). Marbled Godwit. 



Adults. — Plumage mainly light cinnamon brown, heavily mottled with 

 black on upper parts, 



and finely barred with ■■■iifl^^'"'' .'^"^^Tri 



blackish on chest, sides, ^^^^^--'^^^ 

 and tail ; throat streaked ^^■■^^^^-~ :^; 

 and chin whitish ; edge 

 of wing black. Young: „. ^._ 



similar to adults but 



more ochraceous brown, and breast and sides unmarked. Length : 1(5.50- 

 20.50, wing 8.50-0.00, bill :-}.50-5.0(i. 



Distribution. — Nearly the whole of North America, breeding in Tran- 

 sition zone from Iowa and Nebraska north to Manitoba. Saskatchewan, 

 and British Columbia ; migrating to Guatemala, Trinidad, Yucatan, and 

 Cuba. 



Nest. — A slight depression in grassy ground, lined with a little dry 

 grass. Eggs : usually 4. 



On the prairies, Colonel Goss says, the maroled godwits are found 

 in flocks on moist ground and fresh water marshes. Although widely 

 distributed they are not generally common birds in the Unitevl 

 States. 



251. Limosa hsemastica (Linn.). Hn5soNiAN Godwit. 



Tail black, tipped with white ; upper coverts crossed by a wide white 

 band. Adults in summer : back black, spotted with buff ; under parts 

 light chestnut, barred with dusky ; head and neck speckled and streaked 

 with buff and dusky; chin and line over eye whitish. Adults in u-inttr : 

 head, neck, and under parts bnify gray ; upi)er parts i)lain grayish lirown. 

 Young: similar to \\'inter adults but feathei-s of back scalloped with 

 dusky and bufF. Length : 14.00-1(;.75, wing S.IO-S.C.O, bill 2.S.5-;5.-t5. 



Distribution. — BreeiHng far north, and migrating through the United 

 States east of the Rocky >Iountains ; south t«) southern South America. 



Nest. — A depression in the ground lined with a few leaves. Eggs: 

 usually 4, deep olive or light brown, sjMitted with darker brown. 



The Iludsonian gotlwit has not been taken west of the Hocky 

 Mountains. 



