LIMOSA. 147 



dark shafts, tipped white and mottled with white on the inner webs of the 

 exterior ones, in some with traces of darker transverse bars ; the primaries and 

 their greater coverts black ; the shafts of the first two or three white, subse- 

 quent ones brownish white ; scapulars and tertiaries pale brown, darker shafted, 

 margined paler, and many of them more or less tinged with ashy ; the lesser 

 and median coverts like the scapulars, but margined whitish; secondaries 

 brown, paler on their inner webs, and margined on both webs and on the 

 tips with white, as indeed are also, so far as the tips are concerned, the 

 later primaries, though less conspicuously so; the greater secondary coverts 

 are more ashy brown, narrowly margined with white. In one specimen, which 

 appears to be further advanced, the lateral tail feathers are distinctly barred 

 blackish brown and white ; the cuneiform barrings on the rump and upper 

 tail coverts are more marked ; the axillaries are all strongly barred ; the 

 feathers of the sides and flanks, and also the lower tail coverts, exhibit numer- 

 ous arrow-head bars; and one or two rufous or chestnut feathers with black 

 bars have begun to show themselves on the breast." 



The summer plumage is thus described by Temminck : — 



''Male. — Upper part of the head and occiput blackish brown, mixed with 

 streaks of reddish yellow; a band of the latter colour over the eyes; lores 

 blackish brown ; cheeks and throat of a yellowish red; all the lower parts of 

 the body including the under tail coverts pale yellowish red ; upper part of the 

 back and scapulars blackish brown, marbled with reddish yellow and whitish grey ; 

 lower part of the back and rump white, marked with longitudinal yellowish red 

 spots ; the tail marked with brown and white bars, those of the latter tint irre- 

 gularly distributed, and disposed more or less longitudinally; quills black 

 at their tips, the remaining part towards the bases blackish brown, with 

 their inner webs whitish grey, marbled with pale brown ; the secondaries grey, 

 with the shafts and margins white. 



'' Female.— The. head and lores as in the male; the throat white, marked 

 with reddish grey ; cheeks and neck very light reddish, with numerous brown 

 streaks, which become broader, and form small transverse brown and white 

 bars on the sides of the breast ; the latter and the belly marbled with white 

 and very pale reddish ; the abdominal part white ; the lower tail coverts 

 reddish white, with light brown bars. 



^^ Length of Male. — 14*5 to 14-8 inches; expanse 27 to 2775 ; tail from 

 vent 27 to 3-3 ; wing 7-8 to 8-4; tarsus 2 ; bill at front 2-S to 3-1 ; weight 

 8 oz. 



'' Length 0/ Female.— \yji, inches; expanse 28; tarsus 2; tail 3; wing 

 8-4 ; bill at front 3*65 ; weight 9 oz. 



