BAR-TAILED GODWIT. 691 



two transverse bars of brown towards the end ; legs and 

 toes dark blue, the claws black. 



A female, which, as in the Black-tailed Godwit, is larger 

 than the male, measured sixteen inches ; the length of the 

 beak three inches and three-quarters ; from the carpal 

 joint to the end of the first quill-feather, which is the 

 longest, eight inches and a half. The legs of this species 

 are much shorter in proportion to the size of the bird than 

 those of the black-tailed Godwit, and become another 

 mark of distinction. In the female described, the tarsus 

 measured but two inches in length, and the naked part of 

 the tibia above it only one inch. 



A male, apparently in the perfect plumage of summer, 

 killed during the second week of May, 1821, has the beak 

 nearly black, reddish brown at the base ; irides dusky 

 brown ; head and neck rich bay, or chestnut red, the 

 feathers on the forehead, top of the head, and down the 

 back of the neck, streaked longitudinally with black ; 

 the space between the base of the beak and the eye, 

 and the feathers forming the ear-coverts, spotted with 

 black ; the upper part of the back, the shoulders, lesser 

 wing-coverts, and tertials, black, the edges of the feathers 

 of a pale reddish wood brown ; greater wing-coverts, as in 

 winter, dark brown, edged with greyish white; primary 

 quill -feathers almost black, those nearest the secondaries 

 tinged with dusky brown on the inner webs, and edged 

 with white ; lower part of the back white, with a few 

 small feathers of a dark colour intermixed ; upper tail- 

 coverts barred with black, on a ground colour of pale 

 reddish brown ; tail-feathers nearly as in winter, but the 

 white is tinged with bay; neck in front, breast, belly, 

 vent, and under tail-coverts, nearly uniform rich bay, 

 with a few dark streaks before the carpal joint of the 

 wing ; legs, toes, and claws, nearly black. 



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