SCOLOP ACIDM—GODWITS. 



255 



Mr. Bond found it common round Southend (23. 39) early in Sept., 1842 A 

 fewismall flocks were seen round Leigh in Jan., 1871. It is only seen on the mud- 

 flats there during hard weather or at the time of the autumn migration, and is 

 never very numerous (Smee — 34. 2605). Mr, Ambrose says he has received it 

 from Mersea. In the Parsons Collection are specimens shot on New England in 

 Aug., 1834, and on May 23rd, 1836. On April 23rd, 1868, Mr. H?rting met with 

 a party of eight on the ooze at Canvey Island and shot three in fine spring plum- 

 age after a long and difficult stalk. The Rev. M. C. H. Bird shot one on Canvey 

 Island on Sept. gth, 1880, and saw a pair there on Aug. 2gth, 1882. Mr. Hope 

 remarks that it is getting very scarce now on our coast. 



Bar-tailed Godwit : Limosa lapponka. Locally, " Prine," 

 " Preen," or " Prean." 



A fairly-common visitor to our coast, chiefly when on migra- 

 tion in spring and autumn. 

 The Parsons 



:\ 



Collection con- 

 tains a specimen 

 shot on New Eng- 

 land, in 1829, and 

 another shot on 

 Shoebury shore in 

 1836. Parsons has 

 many notes on 

 this species (22), 

 which was evi- 

 dently common on 

 migration. He 

 does not often re- 

 fer to them in 

 spring, but fre- 

 quently in au- 

 tumn. They seem 

 to have arrived 

 early in August : 

 for instance, on 

 August 5th, 1834, 

 he shot two, and on August isth, 1830, several. On Oct. 22nd, 1835, he writes : 



" [I was] on the shore all tide-time to-day, and did not see one. I have be- 

 fore remarked that they frequent our shore a short time when they first come in 

 the autumn, and about this time leave again, and do not return in any quantity 

 unless we have hard weather, and then we sometimes have great quantities. A 

 month ago, there were a good many on the shore." 



Thus, in Jan., 1838, during hard weather, he notes a great many about. 

 At Harwich it is "very common some seasons" (Kerry). In 1858, Mr. Stacey 

 preserved one shot at Great Canfield. A specimen from Oakley in 1861 is in 

 the Bree Collection. Mr. Fitch writes : " Our Maldon gunners confirm Mr. 

 Abel Chapman's statement {Bird-Life of the Borders^ p. 245) that 'this is one of 

 the most abundant of our winter wild-fowl.' Contrary to the opinion of many 

 modern writers, it remains throughout the winter like the Knot." 



BAR-TAILED GODWIT, SlllHllier, 1/5. 



