MARBLED GODWIT 283 



are gone and man is left to tight conditions as he must with agencies of his 

 own devising, less efficient, perhaps, than those provided by nature. 



Audubon (1840) says: "While feeding on the banks, it appears to 

 search for food between and under the oysters with singular care, at 

 times pushing- the bill sidewise into the soft mud beneath the shells." 

 The sand beaches of California are favorite feeding grounds, where I 

 have seen it associated with the long-billed curlew. I was interested 

 to see with what dexterity these long-billed birds could pick up a 

 small mollusk and swallow it; I could plainly see the small object 

 gradually travel up the long bill and into the mouth of the bird. 

 Other observers have recorded in the food of this godwit snails, crus- 

 taceans, insects and their larvae, worms, and leeches. 



Behavior. — The flight of the marbled godwit is strong, rather swift 

 and direct; the head is usually drawn in somewhat, the bill pointed 

 straight forward, and the feet stretched out behind. Audubon (1840) 

 says: "When flying to a considerable distance, or migrating, they 

 usually proceed in extended lines, presenting an irregular front, 

 which rarely preserves its continuity for any length of time, but 

 undulates and breaks as the birds advance." Mrs. Florence M. 

 Bailey (1916) writes: 



In flight they often made a close flock, calling queep, queep, queep, queep, 

 queep, affording a beautiful sight as (he light struck them and wanned up the 

 cinnamon wings that make such a good recognition mark. They soared down 

 handsomely, showing the cinnamon, and as they alighted held their wings 

 straight over their backs for a moment, the black shoulder straps showing in 

 strong contract to the warm cinnamon. 



Though the flocks were generally most amicable, occasionally one or two of 

 their number would get to scrapping. Two got hold of each other's bills one 

 day and held on, one or both crying lustily. In a group another day two came 

 to blows, first just opening their bills at each other and talking argumentatively. 

 Later one of them made passes at the other till the harried bird lifted his wings 

 as if meditating escape, and finally when a pass was made at his long unpro- 

 tected legs, flew away. When one was teased by a companion it often cried 

 complainingly, go-way, go-way, go-van, go-way. 



It was amusing to watch the birds feed. As a wave rolled up, combed over 

 and broke, the white foam would chase them in, and as they ran before it, if 

 it came on too fast, they would pick themselves up, open their wings till the 

 cinnamon showed, and scoot in like excited children. But the instant the 

 water began to recede they would right about face and trot back with it, 

 splashing it up so that you could see it glisten. As they went their long bills — 

 in the low afternoon sun strikingly coral red except for the black tip — were 

 shoved ahead of them, feeding along through the wet sand, the light glinting 

 from them; and if anything good was discovered deeper, the hunters would 

 stop to probe, sometimes plunging the bill in up to the hilt, on rare occasions 

 when the tidbit proved out of reach, actually crowding their heads down into 

 the sand. 



Like all of the shore birds, the marbled godwit is exceedingly 

 demonstrative on its breeding grounds, flying out to meet the intruder 



