BAK-TAILED GODWIT 353 



sparsely spotted with black ; axillaries, white, barred with 

 black. 



Adult female nuptial. Similar to the male plumage. 



Adult winter, male and female. General colour ash-grey, 

 with whitish under-parts. 



Immature, male and female. 1 Besembles the adult winter- 

 plumage, but the shade is greyer ; the feathers of the back, 

 scapulars, and wings, being only thinly edged with rufous. 



BEAK. Dark olive. 



FEET. Pale olive. 



IRIDES. Dark reddish-brown. 



EGGS. Greenish-grey or brownish-olive, blotched with 

 dark umber : clutch, four. 



AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 



TOTAL LENGTH ... ... 10 in. Female smaller. 



WING 5-5 



BEAK 2'2 



TARSO-METATAESUS ... 1\5 ,, 



EGG 1-75 x 1'22 in. 



BAR-TAILED GODWIT. Limosa lapponica (Linnaeus;. 



Coloured Figures. Gould, ' Birds of Great Britain,' vol. iv, pi. 

 51 ; Dresser, ' Birds of Europe,' vol. viii, pis. 573 figs. 

 1, 2, 574 fig. 2; Lilford, ' Coloured Figures,' vol. v, pi. 56. 



Of the two species of Godwits which frequent our shores, 

 the Bar-tailed is by far the most numerous. It occurs in 

 considerable numbers every year, being abundant when 

 migrating in spring and autumn. A decrease in numbers 

 during the winter is probably most marked on the southern 

 shores of England ; but here, large numbers in nuptial 

 plumage reappear in spring. Along the western coasts of 

 Great Britain it occurs mainly as an autumn and early 

 winter-visitor. 



1 I noticed that the immature female specimen from Queen's Co., 

 presented to the Museum of Science and Art, Dublin, has the head and 

 neck of a mouse-brown colour ; the back showing distinct rufous edgings. 



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