77 



Two species occur in Britain, viz. the Bar-tailed 

 and the Black-tailed. The Bar-tailed God wit ap- 

 pears in small flocks on our coast in the beginning 

 of September. It may be observed on the muddy 

 parts at the mouths of streams, where it is seen 

 walking or running, occasionally probing the mud 

 and sand in search of worms and other small 

 animals, frequently in company with the Sand 

 Pipers and Ring Plovers. It remains with us 

 during winter, and disappears at the further end of 

 April or the early part of May. It is only seen on 

 its passage in Switzerland and France. It visits 

 Finland and the countries to the eastward, but is 

 very seldom seen on the islands or on the western 

 shores of the Baltic. It is said to breed in Hol- 

 land, and a few specimens of the egg obtained in 

 Lapland have been well authenticated. The egg 

 is similar to that of the Black-tailed Godwit. 



GODWIT, BLACK-TAILED. 

 BED GODWIT. 



LIMOSA MELANUEA, Selby. 



This species can easily be distinguished from the 

 Bar-tailed Godwit by the uniform black hue of 

 its tail, two-thirds of that of the Bar-tailed 

 having (as its name implies) brown and grey 



