THE SNIPE-BILLED GODWIT. 399 
THE PLATE would be an exact representation of the winter 
plumage, if the brownish fulvous shade which overlies the 
head, neck, back, breast, and sides were replaced by grey. This 
is xot the fault of the artist. The only specimen available, when 
our plate was prepared, nearly three years ago, was Mr. Blyth’s 
old specimen which did exhibit this fulvous shade, which 
latter, as we now know by comparison with fresh birds, was 
only what is technically called “museum brown,” due to long 
exposure in Calcutta to damp, heat, dust and light; the bill 
should be blackish dusky or deep brown, except just towards 
the base; the legs and feet should be lead coloured instead 
of green as in the plate. 
The breeding plumage is widely different, and, like that 
of the true Godwits, very rufous. I have never myself seen 
this species in summer plumage, but this latter is thus described 
by David and Oustalet :— 
“The upper parts bright rufous with brown streaks on the 
middle of the crown, on the lores, and down the back of the 
neck, and large spots of the same colour on the dorsal feathers ; 
the lower parts of a more uniform rufous; the feathers of the 
abdomen margined a little with white, and the flanks and lower 
tail-coverts marked with a few irregular brown streaks ; wing- 
coverts, secondaries and tertiaries a greyish brown, margined with 
white ; primaries brown, with white shafts; the tail feathers 
transversely rayed with white upon a brown ground.” 
Probably this plumage is entirely lost by the end of October, 
but Mr. Oates says of one of his specimens shot on the 29th 
of September :— 
“ The male is still partially in summer plumage ; the breast 
is ferruginous, and the tertials are edged with the same.” 
Doubtless the great mass of the specimens met with in 
India will be in winter plumage, and the bird is so rare, and 
it is so desirable that it should be certainly identified wher- 
ever met with, that I subjoin a more detailed account of this 
plumage, recorded by myself from fresh specimens :— 
The wings, when closed, reach o'2 beyond the end of the 
tail ; the first quill is the longest, the second a trifle shorter; the 
elongated tertials are nearly equal to the third quill; the outer 
toe to second joint is connected by a web to half way between 
first and second joint of the mid-toe; the mid-toe from 
between first and second joint is connected by a web to the 
first joint of inner toe ; the hind toe is long, thin, free, consider- 
ably raised above the sole. There is a conspicuous groove on 
each side of bill from the forehead over the nares, almost 
to the point; the point of the bill is much dilated, not 
showing reticulations or pittings in the /vesh specimen, 
(though these are very conspicuous in dry ones), but with a 
deep central groove; the inner surface of the upper mandible 
or palate, exhibits a double row of sharp, thorn-like, recurved 
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