242 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN". 



from nine to ten inclies ; breadth from sixteen to twenty 

 inches ; bill one inch and a quarter, black at the tip, 

 and dusky ash, fading into orange towards the base. 

 Tongue extends to the very end of the bill, and is sharp 

 and horny at the point ; irides hazel : from the bill to 

 the eye a dusky line, over the eye a white one ; the top 

 of the head, neck, back, and wings ash colour ; lower 

 order of coverts tipped with white, and edged a little 

 way with the same, making a bar across the wing when 

 extended ; greater quills darker with white shafts; lower 

 part of the back and tail coverts dark ash colour, mixed 

 with white, forming spots like crescents ; tail ash colour ; 

 the under part from the throat to the vent, white, with 

 small dusky spots on the throat and breast ; the sides 

 under the wings, the belly, thighs, and vent crossed 

 with dusky lines ; ridge of the wings white, the thighs 

 feathered very nearly to the knee ; the legs are short, 

 in some are bluish ash colour, in others yellow ; the 

 toes are divided without any membrane. These birds, 

 like others of the same genus, vary considerably from 

 each other in their appearance at different seasons of 

 the year, as well as from age and sex. Knots have been 

 observed about Lake Baikal, and INIr. Pennant mentions 

 a specimen which came from New York. 



The godvnt is taken in the same manner and at the 

 same time as the ruffs and knots, and when ready for 

 market each sells for five shillings and upwards. In the 

 spring and summer it resides in fens and marshes, 

 where it rears its young, and lives upon small worms 

 and insects. During these seasons it only removes from 

 one marsh to another, but when the winter sets in with 

 severity (for the godwit continues with us the whole 



