BAR-TAILED GODWIT. 255 



from the chin to the vent, bright chesnut red, with only a few 

 white feathers showing oh the lower parts of the body. The 

 feathers on the back also edged with rufous, but the wing-coverts 

 as yet but little changed. 



No. 2. Male, adult. An almost exact counterpart of the pre- 

 vious specimen, but having a few more rufous feathers in the 

 wing-coverts. 



Of half a dozen killed on the 16th of May, — five males 

 and one female, — the variation in plumage may be thus 

 described : — 



No. 1. Male, immature. In a state of half change, with white 

 feathers sprinkled amongst the red on the breast and vent, and the 

 red of the neck, breast, and flanks, streaked and barred with black, 

 which in older birds, at that season, is almost entirely absent. 



No. 2. Male, immature. Kather more mottled, with white and 

 black on the under parts, but the red tints very rich in colour, and 

 the testes somewhat larger than in the previous specimen. 



No. 3. Male, adult. In magnificent plumage; nearly all the 

 feathers of the wing coverts margined with reddish brown, and the 

 whole of the under surface of the body one uniform rich chesnut. 



No. 4. Female. In winter plumage with the exception only 

 of two or three red feathers appearing on the back and throat. 

 Feathers of the wing coverts and tertials much worn at the edges. 

 The ovary contained some eggs about the size of No. 6 shot. 



No. 5. Male, immature [?]. A very abnormal specimen, which, 

 but for the evidence of dissection, I should have judged at once to 

 be a young female, the bill measuring within 2-8ths of an inch, of 

 the size of most females, whilst the other measurements are barely 

 those of adult males. "With the exception of a few minute freckles 

 of red on the chin, this bird is in complete winter plumage, the 

 feathers of the wing coverts and tertials being much worn, in 

 some only the shafts remaining towards the anterior portion of the 

 feathers. The testes were small, but still quite distinguishable. 



No. 6. Male, adult. In exactly similar plumage to the two 

 kiUed on the 7th. 



Three more specimens obtained on the 17th of 

 May, two males and one female, presented the following 

 differences of plumage : — 



No. 1. Male, adult. Exactly resembling the two killed on the 

 7th. 



