56 



SHORE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



LlflOSA H>EMASTICA (Linn.). 

 Hudsonian Godwit. 



Summer plumaye : Upper parts, 

 dark brown, the feathers showing 

 spots of pale rufous brown on the 

 edges; rump, white; tail, black, 

 tipped with whitish; chiu, whitish 

 with pale rufous; rest of under 

 parts, dark rufous brown; the 

 feathers of the throat more or less 

 streaked with black, and the feath- 

 ers of the breast and belly, faintly 

 edged with black; axillars, very 

 dark slate color, almost black. 



Winter plumaye: Upper plu- 



Limosa h:i>miKtic8i. mage, dull gray; feathers of the 



back more or less edged with dark brown; chin, whitish; breast, pale gray; shafts of the 

 feathers on the sides of the breast, brownish; belly, grayish buff, sometimes bufty white; 

 under tail coverts, whitish ; axillars, dark, smoky gray. 



Length, 15; wing, 8 to 8.60; tarsus, 2.40; bill, 2.80 to 3.40. 



The Hudsonian Godwit, 

 Ring-tailed Marlin, or Goose- 

 bird, as it is often called, 

 ranges from the arctic regions 

 to Southern South Aineric;i. 

 It is common in suitable 

 localities during migrations 

 east of the Kocky Mountains 

 but does not occur on the 

 Pacific coast. This fine bird, 

 like many other of our birds, 

 is gradually becoming less 

 and less numerous. It breeds 

 in the far North. The eggs, 

 which are generally four in 

 number, are olive brown, spot- 

 ted with dark brown, and 

 measure about 2.20 x 1.35. 



