THE COMMON OR BAR-TAILED GODWIT. 225 



sea-sliore. They appeared quite happy. It was interesting to 

 observe their natural habit of driving the point of the bill into 

 their soft oozy feeding-ground, here exemplified by several of 

 them at the same moment probing the layer of straw with 

 which the floor of their residence was covered. The third day on 

 which I paid my respects to them was very cold in the shade ; the 

 wind easterly. They all had their bills wholly buried in their 

 dorsal plumage, and most of them had their eyes closed ; but they 

 nevertheless kept continuously calling, without in the least degree 

 changing their attitudes or moving the bill from its state of repose. 

 Occasionally, two or three would call at the same moment, the 

 rule among them seeming to be that a continuous note was 

 essential. It was amusing to behold the vibration of the body of 

 the bird, when, — supported on only one leg, — the call was 

 uttered with the bill " engul plied" in the plumage of the back. 

 A ruff in the same aviary with them, as observed on one of the 

 warm days, seemed also quite contentedly at home, and displayed 

 the well-known pugnacity of the species, by striking with Iris 

 bill any of the godwits that came within his reach. On one of 

 the warm days, he took possession, for a time, of a large shallow 

 pan of water, and would not suffer a godwit to partake of, or 

 cool its feet in the liquid. 



THE COMMON OR BAR-TAILED GODWIT. 



Limosa rufa, Brisson. 

 Scolopax Lapponica, Linn. 



Is a regular autumnal visitant, remaining occasionally 

 until spring. 



From, the manner in which the best British ornithologists speak 

 of the two species of godwit in Great Britain, it would seem that 

 the bar-tailed is more common, and the black-tailed more rare, 

 in Ireland than in that island. 



The oozy banks of Belfast Bay are a favourite resort of the 



VOL. II. Q 



