334 



THE GREAT MARBLED GODWIT. 



wing from flexure 9; tail 3j; bill along the ridge 4^ J} along the edge of 

 lower mandible 4^; bare part of tibia 1 T V, tarsus 2jf; middle toe 1 T V, its 



claw -jff . 



Adult Female. 



The female is considerably larger than the male, but is similar in colour- 

 ing, the lower parts of a less bright buff. 



Length to end of tail 20| inches, to end of wings 21J; bill 5. 



The inner edge of the middle claw 

 is usually broken, which is a common 

 circumstance in birds that have it 

 very thin, but there are no regular 

 serratures or notches upon it. 



Adult Male. Length to end of 

 tail 16j inches, to end of wings 17, 

 to end of claws 20; extent of wings 

 28^; wing from flexure Sf ; tail 3 T \; 

 bill along the ridge 3|§, along the 

 edge of lower mandible 3 T 9 2; bare part 

 of tibia 1 T 9 2, tarsus 2j\', hind toe ^, 

 its claw T 2 2j second toe If, its claw 

 Tg; third toe 1^-, its claw T 4 2 ; fourth 

 toe Iff, its claw ff . 



Palate flat, narrow, with two longi- 

 tudinal papillate ridges, and four 

 series of very large papillae, termi- 

 nating anteriorly in a single ridge. 

 The edges of the mandibles flat. 

 Tongue very long, 2 inches 1 twelfth, 

 trigonal, tapering to a point, concave 

 above, with two series of large pa- 

 pilla?, its base emarginate and papil- 

 late. The upper mandible is entirely 

 destitute of motion; the lower with 

 a joint on each side, as in the Herons. 

 Width of mouth 4-£ twelfths. (Eso- 

 phagus, a b c, 6i inches long, at the 

 commencement -£- inch in width, pre- 

 sently contracting to 4 twelfths, and 

 so continuing as far as the proventri- 

 culus, which is 7 twelfths in breadth. 

 Stomach, c d e, of an oblong form, 1 

 inch 4 twelfths in length, 9 twelfths 



