234 BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. WHIMBREL. 



LIMOSA ^GOCEPHALA— Black-tailed Godwit. 



Nor Ortolans, nor Godwits, nor the rest 

 Of earthly )iames that glorify a feast. 



Cowley— Trans. 



The Black-tailed Godwit is unfortunately quite as rare as the 



Common Godwit, in Herefordshire. 



It is as large as a Woodcock, and equally valuable on the table. 



In the sixteenth century it was considered an article of great luxury, 



for w^hich the following authorities are quoted by Yarrell Sir 



Thomas Browne says " they are accounted the daintiest dish in 



England." Ben Jonson says of them 



Your eating 

 Pheasant, and Godwit here in London, haunting 

 The " Globes " and " Mermaids " ; wedging in with lords 

 Still at the table. 



and Thomas Muffett that " ever famous doctor in physick," as he 

 is styled in the title page to "Health's Improvement,"says, (page 99,) 

 "a fat Godivit is so fine and light meat, that noblemen, yea, and 

 merchants too, by your leave, stick not to buy them at four nobles 

 a dozen." In Lincolnshire the fen-men formerly fattened them on 

 bread and milk for the London market. 



A specimen was shot on the river Lugg, in March, 1876, 

 and is now in the Hereford Museum, and this is the only recorded 

 instance of its occurrence here. 



Genus— NUMENIUS. 



[NuMENius BOREALis — Esquimaux Curlew.] 



A rare straggler to Britain. 



NUMENIUS PH^OPUS— Whimbrel. 



To the locks the Curlew flocks 

 Wi' gleesome speed. 



Burns— £'?e(7y. 



The Whimbrel Curlew, or Little Whaap is closely allied to the 



Common Curlew, but it is much more uncommon. It is a bird of 



