THE GREAT MARBLED GODWIT. 333 



chusetts, and apparently across the land, to the Saskatchewan, where it 

 breeds. None seen in Labrador. A few breed in South Carolina, perhaps 

 also in Texas. Not observed in the Western Country. In autumn returns 

 southward beyond the limits of the United States. 



Adult Male. 



Bill very long, slender, sub-cylindrical, tapering to the obtuse point, 

 slightly recurved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly curved 

 upwards in its whole extent, the ridge convex, the sides with a narrow 

 groove extending almost to the point, the edges rather obtuse, the tip very 

 slightly enlarged. Nostrils basal, lateral, nearer the edge than the dorsal 

 line, small, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long and 

 extremely narrow, the dorsal line slightly recurved, the sides with a narrow 

 groove extending almost to the end, the edge rather blunt, the tip obtuse. 



Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long, slender. Body slen- 

 der. Feet long and slender. Tibia bare for about a third, anteriorly scutel- 

 late; tarsus long, slender, covered anteriorly with numerous scutella, scutel- 

 late behind also, laterally reticulate; toes small, slender, scutellate above, flat 

 beneath, broadly marginate, the anterior connected at the base by webs, of 

 which the outer is much larger; first toe very small, second slightly shorter 

 than fourth, third little longer. Claws small, compressed, slightly arched, 

 obtuse, that of middle toe with the inner edge curved outwards and thin. 



Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short, on the 

 neck short and almost downy, on the abdomen and sides full, on the back 

 moderate; all the feathers oblong and rounded. Wings rather long, very 

 acute, narrow; primaries tapering, the first longest, the second little shorter, 

 the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries incurved, obliquely rounded, the 

 inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, even, of twelve narrow, rounded 

 feathers. 



Bill dull flesh-colour in its basal half, the rest blackish-brown. Iris brown. 

 Feet bluish-grey. The head and neck light yellowish-grey, the throat with- 

 out markings, the upper part of the head streaked with blackish-brown, as is 

 the hind-neck, the markings there being fainter. The rest of the upper 

 parts spotted and barred with brownish-black and greyish-yellow. Alula 

 and primary coverts brownish-black, as are the outer webs of the three first 

 quills, those of the other primaries, and both webs of the secondaries, red- 

 dish-ochre, all more or less mottled with dusky, and the primaries of that 

 colour towards the end, but with the terminal margins whitish; the inner 

 secondaries barred like the back, as are the tail-feathers. Breast, abdomen, 

 and lower surface of wings, light reddish-yellow, the axillar feathers of a 

 deeper tint, the sides faintly barred with dusky. 



Length to end of tail 18^ inches, to end of wings 19^, to end of claws 21; 



Vol. V. 47 



