98 The Wilson Bulletin — Xo. 108 



for Ducks but the population of Cranes, Phalaropes, Bar- 

 tramian I*lovers and Marbled Godwits in Northwestern 

 Minnesota was a revelation to me. Too late for eggs of 

 the Sandhill Crane but apparently Godwits and Uplands 

 were sitting close. 



Two or three miles is a trivial distance for male God- 

 wits to patrol. Tliey are not so aggressive as the Curlew, 

 but just as watchful and suspicious. Less dove like than 

 the Bartramian and more bold than the Willet, a Marbled 

 Godwit will worry any man or dog if the intrusion is even 

 remote. I was certainly surprised to discover my first God- 

 Avit's nest with the parent croucliing beneath a little screen 

 of woven grass blades on four heavil}^ blotched eggs. Her 

 general contour and the situation and design of the nest 

 was suggestive of many King Kails whose nests I have 

 found, after noticing how the grass blades were woven to- 

 gether canopy like to shield the bird and her treasures. 

 About a mile from this nest and screened on one side by 

 willow sprouts sat another tame Godwit. This time the 

 grassy hollow held five boldly marked eggs. Incubation 

 was one-half completed and the date was June 8th. These 

 five eggs bear a general resemblance to each other and I 

 believe they are all the product of the same bird. 



In size Marbled Godwit's eggs are larger than Willet's 

 but smaller than Long-bill CurleAv. The shape is rather 

 different from either of the ]U'eceding and can possibly be 

 better described when tlie outline may be said to compare 

 quite accurately with typical eggs of the Wilson's Snipe, 

 although the latter are, of course, very much smaller. 



The color patterns are distinctive, an<l nmy be classed 

 in two types. In one the ground color is an olive green, 

 while others have a pale chocolate background. The mark- 

 ings are less inclined towards specks and spots, as coni- 

 l)ared with other shore birds' eggs, but are manifest in the 

 form of blotches or cloudings usually similar to the ground 

 color prevalent in the same setting, but several shades 

 darker. The shell is glossv. 



