172 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



western Asia, and in winter it occurs in northern Africa and 

 India. Until the beginning of the last century the range 

 included the eastern counties of England from Yorkshire to 

 Norfolk, but the bird was useful for the table and, when fowlers 

 had reduced its numbers, collectors did the rest ; the last nest 

 is believed to have been taken in or about 1847. Now it is an 

 uncertain and rare visitor on migration, most frequent in the 

 south-east. In the west of Scotland and in Ireland it occurs 

 from time to time, and the statement made by Saunders that 

 it is "seldom obtained on the west side " of England is, I hope, 

 true, though it is more frequent as a migrant and winter visitor 

 than this suggests. Indeed, its visits are fairly regular. 



The Black-tailed Godwit is an easy bird to recognise when 

 alongside its shorter-legged relative, but when by itself may 

 be known by its white wing bar — less distinct in young birds 

 — a'nd by the long legs extending far beyond the tail in flight. 

 When watching Bar-tails collecting on a rocky islet, five Black- 

 tails flew round, and the trailed legs caught my eye before I 

 saw the darker back and the black tail contrasted with the 

 white coverts. When feeding it is a slender, graceful bird, 

 stalking deliberately, and bending its noticeably long neck in 

 almost swan-like curves. Its flight is strong and less erratic 

 than that of the Bar-tail. Mr. F. W. Holder saw one bird, 

 however, join a flock of Knots, and keep time with all their 

 aerial gymnastics, I have seen a fair number of Black-tails 

 with the autumn flocks of Bar-tails, Mr. Holder has noticed 

 them in every month from December to March, and Mr. G. 

 Marples saw the bird on the Cheshire shore in winter. In 

 Scotland it has been also noticed in winter and, occasionally, 

 in summer, once at any rate under circumstances which 

 suggested nesting. The nest (Plate 69) is usually in marshy 

 ground, sometimes in a very wet situation ; if left alone by 

 collectors there is no reason why the bird should not re-establish 

 itself in some of the many undrained marshes. The call is 



