664 Mr. E. A. S. Elliot on the Godwits. 



of white and blue stones, and are rendered more conspicuous 

 by the black band across the breast, wliich is quite wanting 

 in the young bird. 



The nest is merely a saucer-shaped depression in the sand. 

 The natives know the bird well, and told me that their 

 children find the eggs; and the Ladakhi boy is a terror 

 among birds' eggs, which he loves to suck whenever he gets 

 the chance. The natives also say that the bird lays one or 

 two eggs, and the colour is grey-blue with dark markings. 

 This sounds likely, as it is a good protective colour, and 

 would make it very hard to detect the egg among the shingle. 

 I got this information from the head man at Suru; and 

 when I asked him as to what colour the egg was, after some 

 thought he picked up a blue pebble and said, " Like this, 

 sahib, with black markings " (kala nishan). 



I made a rough drawing of the young bird, which I after- 

 wards sent, preserved in spirit, to Professor Newton at 

 Cambridge. 



The call of the old bird more nearly resembles that of the 

 Whimbrcl than any other I can mention. 



Wj\1.— Notes on the Godwits (Limosa). 

 By E. A. S. Elliot. 

 Amongst the Waders, a class of birds I have had unusual 

 opportunities of watching for many years along the shores 

 of Kingsbridge Estuary, South Devon, the Bar-tailed Godwits 

 have always been a groat attraction. The striking change 

 of plumage from winter to summer, their erratic appearance 

 at the times of migration, and the desire to raise this group 

 above the level of that hen-pecked one of Phalaropes, to 

 which they have been likened in their habits of courtship 

 and nidification, have induced me to follow the Godwit in 

 his coming in and going out ever since I could tell one bird 

 from another. 



In the fall-migration the Bar-tailed Godwit arrives in our 

 estuary the latter end of August in small flocks of six or 



