COMMON GOD WIT. 195 



THE COMMON or RED GODWIT. Limosa rufa, 

 Briss. Red-breasted Snipe, Mont., (summer plu- 

 mage.) Scolopax leucophea, Lath. Grey God- 

 nit, Linn., (winter plumage.} Common or Red 



Godwit of British authors This species, though 



more abundant and more generally distributed than 

 the last, is by no means common, and their general 

 time of appearance is in autumn, remaining with 

 us during the winter, on the low lying shores of 

 our islands, where the beach is soft, and there are 

 rivers, or small streams from springs. They appear 

 at that season in small parties, which have left 

 the district where incubation had been carried on, 

 and now mingle with other allied birds, but are 

 easily known at a distance by their more compact 

 form, and by the length of their bill, which is seen 

 boring into the soft sand or mire. On taking wing 

 their shrill cry, or Whelp," at once betrays them.' 

 We have shot many specimens, on the low shores 

 between Holy Island and the Northumbrian coast. 

 Hie Merse, at Skinburness, and banks of the Wam- 

 poole on the Solway, are localities where we have 

 never missed parties of them in the end of August 

 and in September, mingling with several others 

 the Totani and Tringce, which are considered of 

 ?ss common occurrence on the border. In Ire- 

 land they are a regular autumnal visitant". From 

 the information we possess and can procure, the 

 range of this bird is much more limited than that of 

 e last, does not appear to reach so far north, and, 



