SCOLOPACID^:. 389 



with small dusky centrals and shafts to each feather ; 

 the upper edge of the wing-coverts, frontal edge and 

 quills are dusky ; the feathers of the tippet have the 

 dusky central spots broadest ; those of the back and 

 wing-coverts are finely pencilled with dusky, and the 

 tertials and greater wing-coverts have the peculiar 

 triangular spots on their edges ; the tail-feathers are 

 narrowly barred with dusky and greyish ash; all 

 the under parts are pure white ; the legs and beak 

 the same as in the summer plumage, but paler ; iris 

 dusky." The change from winter to summer 

 plumage does not appear to be produced by moult, 

 but like the spring change of so many other birds, 

 especially those of this family and of the Plovers, 

 by a change in the colouring secretion of the 

 feathers. 



The eggs are pear-shaped ; " the ground-colour a 

 very pale yellowish green, sprinkled all over with 

 irregular spots of dark brown, intermixed with 

 blotches of light purplish grey, the spots and espe- 

 cially the blotches more numerous at the larger 

 end."* 



BLACKTAILED GOD WIT, Limosa melanura. This 

 bird is not mentioned by either Montagu or Yarrell 

 as having occurred in this county, and I am myself 

 only aware of one specimen having occurred, and 

 that one was very nearly being overlooked, but 



* Yarrell, vol. ii., p. 667. 



