390 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



luckily happening to hear that there had been an 

 unknown bird seen at the poulterer's shop I made 

 some enquiries, and found that a gentleman had 

 bought it with some Peewits to eat : having found out 

 who the gentleman was, I sent and asked if I might 

 be allowed to see it, and he very kindly made me a 

 present of the bird, which turned out to be a Black- 

 tailed Godwit. This bird, thus rescued from the 

 cook, had been shot about the 15th of February in 

 the Bridgwater Marsh, and I was told that the man 

 who shot it said that there was another bird of the 

 same sort in company with it, but that it was too 

 wild to get a shot at. It has occurred more fre- 

 quently in the neighbouring county of Devon : four 

 of these birds were shot at Slapton Lea, in South 

 Devon, in August or September, 1864 ; three of 

 them were bought by fishing-tackle makers and 

 destroyed, the fourth came for a short time into the 

 hands of Mr. Bidgood, the curator of the museum at 

 Taunton, where I saw it. 



Although the Blacktailed Godwit may generally 

 be considered a spring and autumn visitor, most 

 numerous in the autumn, when both old and young 

 are returning from their breeding ground, it is 

 occasionally found in England at other times. Yar- 

 rell says it sometimes remains to breed in the 

 marshes of Norfolk and Lincolnshire, and my own 

 specimen was killed in February, and had very pro- 

 bably remained throughout the winter. 



