164 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



brown (sometimes paler), usually more or less spotted with darker 

 brown, but sometimes nearly uniform. Hab. Northern North 

 America, east of Eocky Mountains (west to Pacific coast in 

 Alaska), migrating south, in winter, through eastern United States, 

 western Cuba, and Middle America to southern South America. 



251. L. hsemastica (LiNN.). Hndsonian Godwit. 



a 4 . "Wing with two white patches, one at base of quills, the other occupying greater 

 portion of secondaries. 



Upper tail-coverts, rump, and tail, much as in L. hcemastica ; axillars and 

 under wing-coverts pure white. Summer adult : Head, neck, and chest 

 cinnamon or rusty, the first two streaked, the last barred, with dusky ; 

 rest of lower parts white, the breast and sides barred with dusky ; back, 

 etc., mixed black, rusty, and whitish. Winter plumage : Head, neck, 

 back, and scapulars plain dark brownish gray; chest plain pale grayish; 

 rest of lower parts plain white. Young : " Head dull brownish, the 

 feathers edged with rufous-bun . . . back earthy brown, with here and 

 there a blackish brown feather, all being edged with dull rufous . . . 

 sides of head, neck, and breast dark buff; flanks washed with buff." 

 Downy young : " Rusty yellow, marked with black, especially on crown 

 and rump ; a narrow streak through the eye, wing-joints, cheeks, and 

 belly, light yellowish." (DRESSER.) Length about 15.00, wing 8.00- 

 9.80, culmen 3.70-4.95, tarsus 2.80-3.80, middle toe 2.00-2.12. Eggs 2.17 

 X 1-50, deep grayish olive, indistinctly spotted with deeper olive-brown. 

 Hab. Northern portion of eastern hemisphere ; accidental in Greenland. 



252. L. limosa (LINN.). Black-tailed Godwit. 



GENTJS TOTANUS BECHSTEIN. (Page 149, pi. L., figs. 1, 2.) 



Species. 



COMMON CHARACTERS. Above grayish or brownish, more or less varied with 

 white or dusky, or both ; head and neck streaked, and tail barred, with white and 

 grayish or dusky; lower parts white, the chest (sometimes other portions also") 

 more or less streaked or spotted with dusky. 



a 1 . Bill longer than middle toe, with claw. 



b l . Tarsus more than one and a half times as long as the middle toe, without 



claw. (Subgenus Totanus.*) 



c 1 . Nasal groove occupying less than half the total length of the upper 

 mandible ; exposed culmen as long as tarsus to base of hind toe 

 wing 7.00 or more. 



d 1 . Bill decidedly recurved ; entire lower back and rump pure white ; 

 flanks and lower tail-coverts without markings. Summer 

 adult: Back and scapulars blackish, the feathers edged with 

 light ash-gray; fore-neck streaked with dusky. Winter plu- 

 mage : Back and scapulars grayish, the feathers bordered with 



