BAT BIRDS. 335 



may be found around sheltered pools in autumn. When 

 these are alarmed they fly rapidly and in silence, but at 

 other times they are partial to telling people that they are 

 in the neighborhood. The wandering tattler {Heferoscelus 

 incanus) is a resident of the Pacific Coast. It is of a 

 leadish-gray color above, and white below, shaded and 

 barred with gray. 



The marlins, or godwits, seem to be getting scarce in 

 several parts of the country, owing, probably, to the in- 

 discriminate war waged upon them, for their size and 

 delicacy of flesh make them objects worthy of pursuit. 

 The two best are the great-raarbled godwit, or humility 

 {Limosa fedoa), and the Hudsonian godwit, or white- 

 tailed marlin {L. hndsonica), which is smaller than the 

 former. The great marlin is of a general rufous color, 

 variegated above with black, brown, and gray; the bill is 

 flesh-colored, tipped with black, and about five inches 

 long. It frequents marshy places near the sea-shore, and, 

 as it IS strong of wing, bagging it is no idle pleasure on 

 many occasions. It has a shrill cry, which is odd, loud, 

 and rapid. The white-tailed marlin is not so common 

 as the preceding, and has a more northern habitat. This 

 species is brownish-black above, variegated with gray, 

 rufous, and sometimes white; and the under parts are 

 reddish, variegated with dusky. The winter plumage is 

 grayish, and so is that of the young. 



Curlews, which are very abundant from the Atlantic to 

 the Pacific Ocean, breed on high, sandy grounds. The 

 nest is a rude affair, which generally holds four eggs 

 placed in such a manner that their small ends touch. 

 These birds are as cunning as crows, and have such 

 trained eyes that, though they may come within an 

 aggravating distance of the sportsman, yet they manage 

 to keep out of range of his gun, unless he can cir- 

 cumvent them. They are clamorous criers, and such 

 suspicious creatures that they announce the approach 



