396 LIMOSA HUDSON ICA. 



GENUS XII. LIMOSA. THE GODWITS. 



GEN. On. Dill, more than twice as long as head, slender, not expanded at tip, but sliyhtly curved upward. Coracoids, 

 exceeding in lenyth the heiyht of keel. Marginal indentations, four in youny, two in adult. 



The stomach is cuboid in form, quite muscular, and is lined with a hard rugose membrane. The legs are stout and 

 there are prominent membranes between toes; but, excepting these differences and those given above, members of this ge- 

 nus resemble the preceding in anatomical and other characters. Sexes, quite similar. There are two species within our 

 limits. 



LIMOSA HUDSONICA. 



Hudsonian Godwit. 

 Umosa Hudsonica Sw., F. B. A., II; 1831. 



DESCRIFnON. 



SP. CH. Form, robust. Size, medium. Toes, slightly margined. Tongue, long, somewhat fleshy, narrowing grad- 

 ually to tip which is pointed. 



COLOR. Adult. Above, dark-brown, spotted-and banded with reddish. Wings, dark-brown, with base of primaries 

 and secondaries, and tips of greater wing covert", white. Smaller wing coverts, ashy. Upper tail coverts and base of tail, 

 white, remainder of latter very dark-brown, tipped with reddish-ash. Beneath, yellowish-red, bande-1 on breast, sides, 

 and ui|der tail coverts, with dark-brown. Axillaries and under wing coverts, black. 



Youny. Yellowish-ash above, streaked and spotted with dark-brown. Beneath, ashy-white, darkest across breast; 

 otherwise similar to the adult. Bill, brown, yellowatbase, iris and legs, brown, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Winter birds are sometimes mottled beneath with red. Readily known by the white upper tail coverts, very dark tail, 

 long, upturned bill, and black axillaries and under wing coverts. Distributed, in summer, throughout Arctic America. 

 Not uncommon on the coast of the Northern States in autumn. Winters south of the United States. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 14'82; stretch, 26'40; wing, 8-25; tail, 

 2'75; bill, 2'25; tarsus, 2 92. Longest specimen, 15-25; greatest extent of wing, 27'80; longest wing, 8'50; tail, 3 00; bill, 

 2'30; tarsus, 3 05. Shortest specimen, 14'50, smallest extent of wing, 2'0(); shortest wing, 8'00; tail, 2'50; bill, 2'20; tar- 

 sus, 2-80. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Egys, placed on the ground in aslight depression of the soil, on a little grass, etc., three or four in number, pyriform 

 in shape, very dark greenish-brown in color, somewhat obscurely spotted and blotched with dark-brown. Dimensions 

 from 1-35x2-15 to l-40x2'20. 



HABITS. 



The Hudsonian Godwits are not of uncommon occurrence along our New England coast 

 in autumn, generally arriving late in September and often remaining until November. 

 They frequent sandy shores, resting on sand spits, from which they rise when approached, 

 with a loud cry, characteristic of both members of the genus, and fly swiftly away, when 

 the white upper tail coverts appear quite prominently, gaining for them the name of Spot 

 Rumps among sportsmen. Birds found with us, are either plain ashy white below or mot- 

 tled with red, but when in their full spring dress, in which they never visit us, however, 

 as they pass to their far northern breeding grounds, through the West, they are very hand- 

 some birds. I have never met with Hudsonian Godwits in Florida, and if they occur there 

 at all, it is as rare migrants. 



LIMOSA FEDOA. 



Marbled Godwit. 



Limosafedoa OKD, ed. Wils., VII; 1825. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. Cn. Form, robust. Size, large. Toes, well margined. Tongue, very long, thin, and slender, gpidiially taper- 

 ing toward tip which is pointed. 



