21- 



zj 



white at tlie base, black elsewhere, except at the tip, which in the central feathers is broadly, and in 

 the others narrowly edged with greyish brown ; quills dark greyish brown, with white shafts, narrowly 

 tipped with dirty white ; secondaries white at the .base, the terminal portion blackish grey, except on 

 the median ones, which have the inner web only marked with that colour; the elongated inner 

 secondaries dark brown, edged with rufous buff, and notched with rufous ; greater wing-coverts dull 

 earthy grey, broadly tipped with white ; median and smaller coverts dull brown, edged and tipped with 

 greyish buff; chin dirty white, sides of head, neck, and breast dark buff; flanks washed with buff; 

 abdomen, under tail-coverts, and axillaries white ; under wing-coverts white, except a line round the 

 edge of the wing, which is black, tipped with white. 



Young in down {fide Meves). Covered with down; rusty yellow, marked with black, especially on the 

 crown and rump; a narrow streak through the eye, wing-joints, cheeks, and belly light yellowish. 

 Total length, excepting the long tail-down, 130 millimetres, beak 20, tarsus 37, middle toe 40. 



Obs. In size we find considerable differences in the series of specimens before us ; but the females are 

 generally larger than the males. The measurements of the males are as follows — beak 3 - 7 to 4"2 inches, 

 wing 8 - to 8"2, tail 3 - 5 to 36, tarsus 2 - 8 to 3 inches; and of the females — beak 3"6 to 4'95, wing 8'2 

 to 9 inches, tail 3"6 to 3'8, tarsus 3"0 to 3"7. Messrs. Harvie Brown and Alston inform us that they 

 examined a specimen in the Museum at Archangel which measured as follows : — beak 4" 87 inches, 

 wing 9 - 8, tarsus 3"8, middle toe 2T2. 



Obs. The Godwits form one of the smallest groups amongst the Waders ; and as it may perhaps be inter- 

 esting to our readers to have a short review of the known species, we make the following remarks on those 

 admitted by Mr. G. R. Gray in his well-known Hand-list, vol. iii. p. 43 : — 



10258. Limosa agocephala, L., may, as above stated, be known from all other Godwits by its axillaries, 

 which, in all stages of plumage, are pure white. 



10259. L. lapponica, L., has the axillaries barred with blackish grey, and therein differs from all other 

 species, excepting L. novce-zealandue — which differs from it but very little, in having the rump and 

 upper tail-coverts barred, whereas in L. lapponica they are generally plain white. 



10260. L. melanuroides, Gould, P. Z. S. 1846, p. 84, and Birds of Australia, vi. pi. 28, is probably only a 

 small variety of L. agocephala, as it differs merely in being somewhat smaller in size. 



10261. L. uropygialis, Gould, B. of A. vi. pi. 29, is identical with the next species. 



10262. L. nova-zealandim, G. R. Gray, Voy. Ereb. and Terror, Birds, p. 13, is the eastern representative of 

 our L. lapponica, and is said to differ from it in having the rump and upper tail-coverts more barred ; 

 but the differences are very slight, as we have specimens shot at Pagham harbour, and purchased in the 

 flesh in Leadenhall Market, which have the rump nearly as much barred as in typical specimens of 

 L. noves-zealandia , which have been kindly placed at our disposal for examination by Mr. J. E. Harting. 

 This form of L. lapponica was found breeding by Von Middendorff in Northern Siberia ; and, according 

 to Mr. Buller, it visits in the course of its annual migration the islands of the Indian archipelago, 

 Polynesia, Australia, and New Zealand. 



10263. L. fedoa, L., is a large, yellowish-rufous-coloured Godwit, which may in all plumages be distin- 

 guished by its bright rufous axillaries, which are narrowly barred with black. It inhabits the temperate 

 parts of the Nearctic region, ranging southward into South America. 



10264. L. hudsonica, Latham, Ind. Orn. ii. p. 720. This species is the Black-tailed Godwit of America, 

 and differs from our L. agocephala in having the axillaries black instead of white, the neck brownish 

 grey instead of chestnut, and the abdomen rich ferruginous; in size it is smaller than L. cegocephala, 

 and about equal to L. lapponica. It inhabits Northern and North-eastern America. 



