644 SCOLOPACID^E. 



than the male, measured sixteen inches ; the length of the 

 beak, three inches and three-quarters ; from the carpal 

 joint to the end of the first quill-feather, which is the 

 longest, eight inches and a half. The legs of this species 

 are much shorter in proportion to the size of the hird than 

 those of the Black-tailed Godwit, and become another mark 

 of distinction. In the female described, the tarsus mea- 

 sured but two inches in length, and the naked part of the 

 tibia above it only one inch. 



A male, apparently in the perfect plumage of summer, 

 killed during the second week of May 1821, has the beak 

 nearly black, reddish brown at the base ; irides dusky 

 brown ; head and neck rich bay, or chestnut red, the 

 feathers on the forehead, top of the head, and down the 

 back of the neck, streaked longitudinally with black : the 

 space between the base of the beak and the eye, 

 and the feathers forming the ear-coverts, spotted with 

 black ; the upper part of the back, the shoulders, lesser 

 wing-coverts and tertials, black, the edges of the feathers of 

 a pale reddish wood brown ; greater wing-coverts, as in 

 winter, dark brown edged with greyish white ; primary 

 quill-feathers almost black, those nearest the secondaries 

 tinged with dusky brown on the inner webs, and edged 

 with white ; lower part of the back white, with a few small 

 feathers of a dark colour intermixed ; upper tail-coverts 

 barred with black, on a ground colour of pale reddish 

 brown ; tail-feathers nearly as in winter, but the white is 

 tinged with bay ; neck in front, breast, belly, vent, and 

 under tail-coverts, nearly uniform rich bay, with a few 

 dark streaks before the carpal joint of the wing ; legs, toes, 

 and claws, nearly black. 



