498 SCOLOPACID^. 



shorter in proportion to the size of the bird than those 

 of the BLack-tailed Godwit, and become another mark of 

 distinction. In the female described, the tarsus measured 

 but two inches in length, and the naked part of the tibia 

 above it only one inch. 



A male, apparently in the perfect plumage of summer, 

 killed during the second week of May, 1''821, has the beak 

 nearly black, reddish-brown at the base ; irides dusky- 

 brown ; head and neck rich bay, or chestnut-red, the feathers 

 on the forehead, top of the head, and down the back of the 

 neck, streaked longitudinally with black ; the space between 

 the base of the beak and the eye, and the feathers forming 

 the ear-coverts, spotted with black ; the upper part of the 

 back, the shoulders, lesser wing-coverts, and tertials, black, 

 the edges of the feathers of a pale reddish-wood brown ; 

 greater wing-coverts, as in winter, dark brown, edged with 

 greyish-white ; primary quill-feathers almost black, those 

 nearest the secondaries tinged with dusky-brown on the 

 inner webs, and edged with white ; lower part of the back 

 white, witli a few small feathers of a dark colour intermixed ; 

 upper tail-coverts barred with black, on a ground-colour of 

 pale reddish-brown ; tail-feathers nearly as in winter, but 

 the white is tinged with bay ; neck in front, breast, belly, 

 vent, and under tail-coverts, nearly uniform rich bay, with a 

 few dark streaks before the carpal joint of the wing ; legs, 

 toes, and claws nearly black. 



