LTMOSA. 255 



short supercilia and a spot under each eye white ; lesser wing- 

 coverts, bastard wing, primary-coverts, primaries, and ends of 

 secondaries blackish brown, tips of greater coverts and bases of 

 quills white, the white extending farther down the inner webs 

 of the first four primaries and the outer webs of the others ; whole 

 outer webs of later secondaries white ; lower back and rump 

 blackish brown ; upper tail-coverts and basal half of tail white ; 

 terminal half of tail black, ashy brown at tip, the black diminishing 

 on the outer feathers ; chin, throat, wing-lining, axillaries, and 

 abdomen white ; fore neck and breast light greyish brown. 



In summer the head, neck, and lower parts are dull rufous, the 

 crown is streaked with black; back, scapulars, and tertiaries black, 

 the feathers with marginal rufous spots ; chin, throat, and lower 

 abdomen white ; lower back black, and terminal spots on upper tail- 

 coverts the same ; breast and flanks with brown cross-bars. 



Fig. 59.- Head of L. helyica. 



Bill dull orange reddish at the base, dusky at the tip ; irides 

 dark brown ; legs dusky greyish green (Jerdon). 



Length 16 to 19-5 inches ; tail 2-6-3'l ; wing T'5-9'25 ; tarsus 

 2*25-b'6 ; bill from gape 2-9-4'8. Females average much larger 

 than males, but measurements of the two sexes overlap consider- 

 ably. Dimensions vary to a remarkable extent. 



Distribution. A migratory bird, breeding in temperate Europe 

 and Asia up to the Arctic circle, and passing the winter in 

 Southern Europe, Northern Africa, Southern Asia, the Malay 

 Archipelago, and Australia. The race found in Eastern Asia and 

 Australia (L. melanuroides} runs smaller, but is not distinguished 

 by any constant character. This God wit is common throughout 

 the plains of Northern India from October to March, but rare 

 south of lat. 20. It was, however, obtained by Jerdon in the 

 south, and by Layard in Ceylon. It is rare in Assam and Burma. 



Habits, fyc. The Black-tailed Godwit is found on the edges of 

 tanks and swamps, and occasionally of rivers, sometimes singly, 

 but more often in flocks of from ten to over a hundred. It feeds 

 partly, on insects, mollusca, and worms, partly, in India at all 

 events, on rice and millet, and, especially when fed on grain, is a 

 delicious bird. It is commonly sold in the Calcutta bazaar as 

 Woodcock. 



