BIRDS OF THE HUMBER DISTRICT. 117 



Humber mud-flats. Compared, however, with their 

 congener the Bar-tailed Godwit, they are a rare bird. 

 I have met with them on the flats in May in every 

 stage of plumage some having acquired the nuptial 

 dress with the bay breast, others having only par- 

 tially assumed it, and also birds that late in the 

 month showed little or no indication of a change from 

 the winter garb, excepting a rich buff tinge on the 

 underparts. 



In the autumn of 1870, during the months of 

 August and September, this species was exceptionally 

 numerous on the coast, and several were killed by the 

 Grimsby gunners. Their great shyness, however, 

 stood them in good turn, and they suffered less pro- 

 portionally than the common and tamer species. On 

 the 29th of August in this season I had an oppor- 

 tunity of examining through a telescope a flock of 

 nine feeding together with Knot and the common 

 Godwit on the Humber mud-flats. Two of these 

 were in the full summer dress, another in transition ; 

 the remainder appeared to be birds of the year. They 

 have all the characteristic manner of the Bar-tailed 

 Godwit, but are readily distinguishable by their larger 

 size, longer legs and bill, and white tail tipped with 

 black, also by their call-note. 



I have never met with the Black-tailed Godwit on 

 the coast during the winter months, or detected it 

 during the same season in the local game-shops. 



