TELL-TALE GODWIT, OR SNIPE. 85 



part of Chatteaux Bay, continually nodding their heads, 

 and were called there stone curlews.* 



The tell-tale seldom flies in large flocks, at least 

 during summer. It delights in watery bogs, and the 

 muddy margins of creeks and inlets; is either seen 

 searching about for food, or standing in a watchful 

 posture, alternately raising and lowering the head, and, 

 on the least appearance of danger, utters its shrill 

 whistle, and mounts on wing, generally accompanied 

 by all the feathered tribes that are near. It occasion- 

 ally penetrates inland along the muddy shores of our 

 large rivers, seldom higher than tide water, and then 

 singly and solitary. They sometimes rise to a great 

 height in the air, and can be distinctly heard when 

 beyond the reach of the eye. In the fall, when they 

 are fat, their flesh is highly esteemed, and many of 

 them are brought to our markets. The colours and 

 markings of this bird are so like those of the preceding, 

 that, unless in point of size, and the particular curva- 

 ture of the bill, the description of one might serve for 

 both. 



The tell-tale is fourteen inches and a half long, and 

 twenty-five inches in extent; the bill is two inches 

 and a quarter long, of a dark horn colour, and slightly 

 bent upwards ; the space round the eye, chin, and 

 throat, pure white ; lower part of the neck, pale ashy 

 white, speckled with black ; general colour of the 

 upper parts, an ashy brown, thickly spotted with black 

 and dull white, each feather being bordered and spotted 

 on the edge with black ; wing-quills, black ; some of the 

 primaries, and all of the secondaries, with their coverts, 

 spotted round the margins with black and white; head 

 and neck above, streaked with black and white ; belly 

 and vent, pure white ; rump, white, dotted with black ; 

 tail, also white, barred with brown ; the wings, when 

 closed, reach beyond the tail; thighs, naked, nearly 

 two inches above the knees ; legs, two inches and three 

 quarters long; feet, four-toed, the outer joined by a 



* Arctic Zoology, p. 468. 



