COMMON GOD WIT. 19? 



colour. The axillary feathers are white, crossed 

 diagonally with clove-brown, set in distinct bars, 

 and in this is easily distinguised from the last, where 

 they are pure white. In the winter state, the head 

 in all its parts is greyish-white, broadly marked 

 along the centre of the feathers with clove-brown. 

 The neck and breast are wood-brown, the centre of 

 each feather darker, and this shades into a very pale 

 tint, approaching almost to pure white on the vent 

 and lower tail-coverts, having the shafts of the fea- 

 thers on the flanks, only relieving it by a dark thread- 

 like streak. In specimens in this state, the axillary 

 feathers show little of the angular barring, but have 

 only an interrupted patch on the webs. On the 

 upper parts, the ground colour is very rich purplish 

 clove-brown, cut into with yellowish-white or pale 

 wood-brown, in the centre of the back having the 

 markings running in lines, and on the shoulders 

 and coverts, having the edgings so broad, as almost 

 to give the pale tint to those places. The rump is 

 pure white, very conspicuous during flight; the 

 upper tail-coverts and tail similar, now without any 

 rufous tint, and are very distinctly barred with deep 

 clove-brown. The bill, in both states, is blackish- 

 brown for more than half its length, becoming paler 

 towards the base, and there tinted with pink. Feet 

 and legs dark greyish-green. 



