BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. 271 



the throat, a streak over the eye, breast, sides, abdomen, and 

 lower tail-coverts white, as are the lower wing-coverts, ex- 

 cepting those bordering the wing, which have a grey central 

 patch. The feathers of the fore part of the back, and the 

 scapulars, are brownish-grey, darker in the middle ; those on 

 the hind part of the back darker, passing into blackish- 

 brown ; the upper tail-coverts white, tipped with black ; the 

 tail black, at the base white, the latter colour occupying 

 rather more than a third of the middle feathers, and two- 

 thirds of the outer ; most of the feathers also tipped with 

 white. The wing-coverts, and inner secondaries, are greyish- 

 brown, with paler margins ; the quills brownish-black, 

 slightly tipped with white. A broad band of white extends 

 across the wing, commencing on the fourth primary, extend- 

 ing, larger, as far as the inner secondaries, and including the 

 ends of the secondary coverts. 



Length to end of tail 16 inches ; bill along the ridge 

 4 inches, along the edge of lower mandible 3|4 > wing from 

 flexure 8f ; tail 3^ ; bare part of tibia I fa ; tarsus 2^- ; hind 

 toe fa, its claw fa ; second toe 1-^, its claw -fa ; third toe 

 I fa, its claw fa ; fourth toe 1^, its claw fa. 



Female. — The female resembles the male, but is con- 

 siderably larger. 



Length to end of tail 17f inches ; bill along the ridge 

 4^ ; wing from flexure 9| ; tail 3 fa ; bare part of tibia 

 1^ ; tarsus 3 fa ; middle toe lfa, its claw -j^-. 



Male in Summer. — The upper part of the head is longi- 

 tudinally streaked with brown and light red, the margins of 

 the feathers being of the latter colour ; a reddish-white band 

 from the bill over the eye; the loral band brown ; the cheeks 

 pale red, the throat white ; neck all round light red, with 

 minute brown specks; its lower part and the sides of the 

 body light red, with transverse curved bands of brownish- 

 black, there being several, generally four, of these bands on 

 each feather ; the middle of the breast, abdomen, and lower 

 tail-coverts, white ; the former and latter with some dusky 

 bands. The feathers of the fore part of the back and the 



