BAR-TAILED GODWIT. 689 



with two exceptions ; the Bar-tailed Godwit very rarely, 

 if ever, remains to breed, and more frequently stops with 

 us through the winter. In Ireland, Mr. Thompson tells 

 me, it is a regular autumnal visitant. Small flocks are 

 occasionally seen in spring, and in the beginning of sum- 

 mer, in Cornwall and in Devonshire, as noticed by Mr. 

 Couch, Dr. Edward Moore, and Mr. Bellamy, and a few 

 are seen in winter. In Romney Marsh, on the Kentish 

 coast, Dr. Plomley says the same occurrences take place. 

 The authors of the Catalogue of the Norfolk and Suffolk 

 Birds say, " We have examined specimens of this bird 

 killed in Norfolk in various states of plumage. Those 

 met with in autumn have been in the dress of the Com- 

 mon Godwit of English authors ; but when the individual 

 was killed early in the spring, it was in a state of change 

 between that bird and the Red-breasted Snipe of Mon- 



tagu.' 



In the year 1821 many beautiful examples of this 

 species, in various states of plumage, were brought from 

 Yarmouth to London by Mr. Harvey, for sale, from one 

 of which the figure of the male bird, in perfect summer 

 plumage, as here represented, standing up, was taken. 

 Mr. Selby includes this species among his Birds of Durham 

 and Northumberland, and Mr. Heysham has recorded one 

 that was shot on the west coast, near Bowness, in October, 

 but considers it a rare bird. 



M. Savi, and other authorities, consider it a very rare 

 bird in Italy. It is only seen on its passage in Switzer- 

 land and France. A few are said to breed in the flat 

 marshy parts of Germany, and M. Temminck says that it 

 has bred in Holland. It visits Finland and the countries 

 to the eastward, but is very seldom seen on the islands, 

 or on the western shores of the Baltic ; nor in Gottland, 

 nor on the Danish islands west of the Sound. 



VOL. IT. Y Y 



