BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. 196 



tain, it ranges, in summer, so far north as Lapland 

 and Greenland, and specimens have been received, 

 in the winter dress, from the vicinity of Tangiers, 

 and parts of Northern Africa.* Japan, and the isles 

 of Sunda are also given to it.t Of old, the Black- 

 tailed Godwit was considered a delicacy for the 

 table, and at present they are occasionally taken, 

 during or previous to the breeding season, and fatted 

 by the fen men for the London markets ; but Mr. 

 Yarrell does not consider them to be held in such 

 high estimation for the table as the ruff, when treated 

 in the same manner. The long legs, neck, and bill 

 of this bird, with the great naked space above the 

 tarsal joint, give somewhat of a heron appearance 

 to it, and remove it from the more squat or lowly 

 figure of the plovers and true tringa3. The Godwits 

 assume red in different shades as their breeding plu- 

 mage, and, at this season, the head, neck, breast, 

 and flanks of this Godwit are pale brownish-orange, 

 very pale around the eyes and on the throat, upon 

 the crown having the centre of each feather marked 

 longitudinally with brownish-black, and having the 

 breast and flanks barred irregularly with the same 

 colour, the marks on the flanks becoming very broad 

 and distinct. The belly, neck, and under tail-coverts, 

 nearly white, also barred broadly with blackish- 

 brown. The ground colour of the back is a rich 

 blackish-brown, tinted with purple, broadly barred, 

 and cut into with pale orange-coloured brown ; the . 

 rump and tail-coverts, and base of the tail, are pure 

 * Yarrell. f Temminck. 



