THE COMMON OR BAR-TAILED GODWIT. 229 



previously been obtained within about twenty years (April 8, 

 1837). On the 12th of March, 1845, three were seen; and on 

 the 6th of that month, in 1816, a flock of from twenty to 

 thirty birds, seven of which, killed at a shot, were brought to me, 

 In Strangford Lough, they have already been noticed as seen in 

 March; one was shot- there, near Kirkcubbin, from a large flock, 

 early in April 1849. How long they generally remain in this 

 lough I am unable to state ; the information given respecting the 

 locality being derived merely from persons visiting it at the 

 periods mentioned. 



Two specimens of the Limosa rufa winch came under my 

 examination — one shot, on the 8th of April, 1837, in Belfast 

 Bay, and the other (a female) near Dublin, on the 29th of May, 

 1838 — were both in winter plumage; no indication of a reddish 

 feather appearing. One killed in Belfast Bay, so late as the 15th 

 of October, was in nearly full summer attire, the under side of 

 the neck, the breast, and thence to the point of the tail on the 

 under side, being red ; the only indication of a change to winter 

 dress being exhibited in an intermixture of a few white feathers 

 with the red on the throat. 



The size of the godwit, like that of other Grallatores, is 

 very variable. Seven birds, killed at the same time, on the 6th 

 of March, differed much in this respect, and, on dissection, all 

 the small ones proved to be males, and the large ones females ; 

 the bills of the latter, from forehead to point, were from four to 

 four and a quarter inches long. Others, which I have killed, 

 exceeded four and a half inches; — a young bird of the year, 

 obtained on the 24th of August, had a bill only two inches in 

 length. At the end of October I once shot a godwit of little 

 more than half the ordinary weight, and hardly exceeding a grey 

 plover in size. 



Of the gizzards of three godwits examined by me, one contained 

 the remains of vegetable ; another of soft animal food; the third 

 was almost wholly filled with gravel, which, together with frag- 

 ments of shell, was in the others also. • 



