464 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Bill long, curved upwards; both mandibles grooved; wings long; tail short; legs 
long; tibia with its lower half naked; toes rather short, margined and flattened under- 
neath; the outer and middle toes united by a rather large membrane; entire upper 
parts variegated with brownish-black and pale-reddish, the former disposed in irregu- 
lar and confluent bands, and the latter in spots and imperfect bands; in many speci- 
mens the black color predominating on the back, and the pale-red on the rump and 
upper tail coverts; under parts pale-rufous, with transverse lines of brownish-black 
on the breast and sides; under wing coverts and axillaries darker rufous; outer 
webs of primaries dark-brown, inner webs light-rufous; secondaries light-rufous; 
tail light-rufous, with transverse bars of brownish-black; bill pale-yellowish, red at 
base, brownish-black at the end; legs ashy-black. 
Total length, about eighteen inches; wing, nine; tail, three and a half; bill, four 
to five; tarsus, three inches; iris, brown. 
Hab. — Entire temperate regions of North America; South America. 
A large and handsome shore bird, well known to sportsmen as the Godwit, and a 
great favorite for shooting. From the collections of the surveying expeditions, it 
appears to be equally abundant in the interior and on the Pacific as on the eastern 
coast of the United States. 
It is only in the spring and autumn migrations that the 
Great Marbled Godwit is found in New England; and at 
those times it makes only a short stay, particularly in the 
spring. 
They arrive from the south early in May, and pass to the 
most northern countries, where they pass the season of 
incubation. 
Of their breeding habits I am ignorant, and I have no 
egos in my collection to give a description here. 
In the autumn, even as early as the middle of August, 
flocks of ten or a dozen birds appear in the marshes on the 
seacoast of Massachusetts; and, these flocks uniting their 
numbers, sometimes as many as a hundred birds are found 
together. They are called by our sportsmen “ Dough” or 
** Doe” Birds; and, as they are in good condition and well 
flavored, they are in great repute, and are hunted with great 
activity. The gunners, using decoys, conceal themselves in 
the manner described in the account of the Golden Plover 
on a preceding page, and secure great numbers. They meet 
with a ready sale in our markets, at very remunerative 
prices; and I have known of two gunners realizing sixty 
dollars as the proceeds of one day’s shooting. 
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