SCOLOPACID^] — THE SNIPE FAMILY. 57 



Limosa fedoa (Linn.) 



MAEBLED GODWIT. 

 Popular synonyms. Marlin; Straight-billed Curlew. 



Scolopax fedoa Linn. S. N. i. od. 10, i, 1758, 146; ed. 12, 17()6, 2(1.— Wils. Am. Orn. vii, 1813, 

 30, pi. 56, f. 4. 

 LimosafedoaO-KD, ed. Wilson, vii, 1824,30.— Sw. & Rich. F. B.- A. ii, 18;il,335.— NuTT.ii,1834, 

 173.— AuD. Orn. Biog. iii, 1835, 287; v, 590, pi. 2:38; Synop. 18.39, 216; B. Am. v, 1842, ;H1, 

 pi. 348.— Cass, in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 7i0.— Baikd, Cat N. Am. B. 1859, No. .547.— 

 CouES, Key, 1872, 257; Check List, 1874, No. .528; Birds N. W. 1874, 492.— B. B. & R. 

 Water B. N. Am. i, 1884, 255.— A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 249.— Ridgw. Man. N. Am. 

 B. 1887, 163. 

 Limosa fwda'RiDG^. Nom N. Am. B. 1881, No. 543.— CouES.Chcok List. 2d ed. 1882, No. 628. 

 Hab. North America; breeding in the interior of the continent (Missouri region and 

 northward), wintering southward to Yucatan and Guatemala; Cuba. 



Sp. Chae. Bill long, curved upwards; both mandibles grooved; wings long; tail short; 

 legs long; tibia with its lower half naked; toes rather short, margined and flattened under- 

 neath; the outer and middle toes united by a largo membrane. Entire upper parts varie- 

 gated with brownish black and pale reddish, the former disposed in irregular and confluent 

 bands, and the latter in spots and imperfect bands; in many specimens the black color pre- 

 dominating on the back, and the pale reddish on the rump and upper tail-coverts. Under 

 parts pale cinnamon, with transverse lines of brownish black on the breast and sides ; under 

 wing-coverts and axillarles darker cinnamon ; outer webs of primaries dark brown, inner 

 webs light cinnamon; secondaries light cinnamon; tail light blackish brown; iris brown; 

 feet bluish gray. (Audubon.) 



Total length about 18.00 inches; wing, 9.00; tail, 4.00-5.00; tarsus, 3.00 inches. ♦ 



The plumage of this bird is in some stages wonderfully similar 

 to that of Numenius longirostris; in fact the resemblance is so 

 great that were it not for the conspicuous generic difference it 

 would be rather difficult to distinguish them specifically. Both 

 have precisely the same tints of color, and also a nearly identi- 

 cal distribution of the markings. The main differences appear 

 to be the following: In Numenixis the black bars of the upper 

 parts are connected by broad stripes along the middle of the 

 feathers, while in Limosa these bars are all isolated and nar- 

 rower, as well as of a less deep black. The longitudinal streaks 

 on the head and neck are much less conspicuous in Limosa; in 

 the latter there is also oftener a tendency to transverse bars on 

 the crissum, and less often to streaks on the foreneck. 



This fine bird is a rather common migrant in Illinois, known 

 to sportsmen by the names of Marlin, Godwit, and Straight- 

 billed Curlew. We have nothing special to offer concerning its 

 habits. 



* A series of ten specimens, including an equal number of males and females, shot by 

 Mr. Franklin Benner, in Minnesota, between June 5th and 10th, was carefully measured, 

 with the following results: Males. Total length, 16.50-17.62, averaaro, 17.00; extent, 30.50- 

 31. .50, average, 31.10; bill, 3. 66-1. (W, average, 3.81. Females. Total length, 18.12-19.62, aver- 

 age, 19.10; extent. 32.00-33.87, average, 32.82; bill, 4.54-5.06, average, 4.77. (See "Bull.Nutt. 

 Orn. Club," v, Jan. 1880, p. 18.) 



