352 THE BIRDS OF DEVOX. 



Bar-tailed Godwit. Limosa lapponica (Linn.). 



[Sea Woodcock, Goddiu {N. D.); Pted-brcasted Suipe of Montagu.] 



A passing visitor in spring and autumn, sometimes numerous on the 

 mud-tiats in the estuaries of our larger rivers both in the north and 

 south of the county, Xou-breeding birds are occasionally met with in 

 summer : Tve ourselves obtained a pair in reddish mottled plumage on the 

 mud-banks below Topsham on the Exe on June 10th, 1854 ; the eggs in 

 the ovary of the female were no larger than duck-shot. There is a 

 specimen in full brecding-jjlumage in the A. M. M. which was procured 

 on the Exc, May 14th, 1845 (F. W. L. 11., MS. Journ. vol. iv. p. 107). 

 Dr. E. Moore mentions a flock of seven, out of which four were shot, on 

 the Tamar in June 1828 (Trans. Plym. Inst. 1830). One was shot close 

 to Milton Ley, June 2nd, 1885 (E, A. S. E., MS. Notes). Many occurred 

 at riyraonth in May 1876 in spring plumage (J. G., Zool. 1876, p. 4902), 

 and hundreds visited the Ivingsbridge estuary at that time. The wind 

 had blown continuously from the east for three weeks (E. A. S. E., in litf.). 

 Montagu's " Eed-breasted Snipe," a flock of which visited the south 

 coast of Devon, May 21st, 1^03 (Linn. Soc. Trans, ix. p. 198), must have 

 been this species in summer plumage. This bird occurs occasionally in 

 the winter months at Plymouth, and on the Kingsbridgc, Dart, and Exe 

 estuaries. We saw a large flock near Budleigh Salterton on 14th 

 December, 1890, and many were shot near Exmouth about that time. 



There is very great variation in the length of the bill in this Godwit, 

 due to sex and age, immature birds ha\'ing it much shorter than the adults. 

 A curious pale variety shot May 10th, 1844, on the Exe estuarj-, is in 

 the A. M. M. (F. W. L. R., MS. Journ. iv. p. 111). 



In IS'orfolk, according to Mr. Stevenson, the name " Scamell "' is 

 a]iplied to the liar-tailed Godwit, and the word occurs in Shakespeare. 

 Mr. Harting thinks the " immortal bard " wrote " sea-mells " or " sea- 

 malls," i. e. Sea-gulls ; but we consider it probable that the word should be 

 " Schiuimel," a Dutch term applied to roan or " strawberry " horses, and 

 other animals suffused M'ith red colour and white. 



The " Goddin," as the shooters on the Barnstaide river termed them, 

 were usually expected on its sands at the time of liarnstaple Pair, that is 

 to say about the middle of September, and there was great excitement 

 when the first flocks had been seen and announced. The birds were 

 singularly tame on their first arrival, appearing in flocks of from a 

 dozen to thirty, and would be noted feeding in a long straggliiig line at 

 the edge of the mud, and as they were approached the outside birds 

 would run in towards the centre, so that tho gunner would find them 

 awaiting his shot huddled together in a compact group, obtaining some- 

 times a dozen or more at a single discharge of his gun. As the tide was 

 ebbing the flocks would be seen flying up the river to feed upon the 

 uncovered flats, their soft whistling cry would be heard as they came 

 near, and they would pass close to any boat upon the river in their 



