LIMOSA H^MASTICA. 191 



408, LIMOSA H^BMASTICA (Linn.), 

 (HUDSONIAN GODWIT.) 



Limosa hudsonica, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 146 ; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 43 

 (Chupat) et p. 200 (Buenos Ayres) ; White, P. Z. 8. 1883, p. 42 (Buenos 

 Ayres) j Seebohm, Plovers, p. 392. Limosa haemastica, Bawd, Brew., et 

 Ridgiv. Water- B. N. A. i. p. 260. 



Description. (In summer.) Above dark brownish black, mixed on the head 

 with longitudinal streaks of whitish, on the neck with pale chestnut, and with 

 many of the feathers of the back spotted or edged with pale chestnut ; wings and 

 tail blackish, the upper half of the inner webs of the primaries and secondaries, 

 the basal part of the outer rectrices, and a broad band across the upper tail- 

 coverts pure white : beneath, cheeks and throat whitish, becoming pale chestnut 

 on the neck, longitudinally striped with blackish ; rest of under surface deeper 

 chestnut, transversely barred with blackish. (In winter.) Above uniform dull 

 brownish ; head, neck, and under surface dirty white or pale buff: whole length 

 14-3 inches, wing 8-5, tail 3-7. 



Hob. Arctic America, descending south to Central Patagonia in 

 winter. 



The Hudsonian Godwit, Mr. Seebohm tells us, " breeds on the tundras 

 of North America north of the forest-growth, from Alaska to Baffin's 

 Bay, but is rare at the western extremity of its range." In winter it 

 goes far south, like most of the other Grallae. 



Durnford found it " common from April to September about the 

 lagoons and arroyos to the south of Buenos Ayres ;" and states that in 

 habits it much resembles the Bar-tailed Godwit of Europe (Limosa lap- 

 ponica). He also met with it in Chupat, and obtained two specimens 

 there on the 13th of November, 1876. 



I have met with it in flocks during the summer of the Southern 

 Hemisphere, and these birds, as well as those obtained at Chupat in 

 November by Durnford, were undoubtedly visitors from the north ; but 

 invariably small flocks of half a dozen to thirty birds begin to appear 

 on the pampas in April, and remain there, as Durnford says, until 

 September, when the northern migrants are nearly due. These indi- 

 viduals must therefore breed near the extremity, or beyond the extre- 

 mity, of South America. It is very curious, to say the least of it, that 

 the Arctic and Antarctic regions of America should possess the same 

 species, and that, at opposite seasons of the year, it should winter in the 

 same district, so far from the breeding-place of one set of individuals, 

 and so near to that of the other ! Captain Abbott observed the Hud- 

 sonian Godwit in the Falkland Islands in flocks in the month of May 

 (see Ibis, 1861, p. 156). These could not have been Alaskan birds, but 

 were no doubt southern breeders on their way north, for that they 

 could winter so far south seems incredible. 



