AI4 THE BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. 
nual lamentation. If the intruder remains there any time, they 
become tamer, and a few return to their eggs, especially if the 
latter are hard-set. Before they have eggs they are very shy, 
rarely approaching within gunshot ; but when the young are 
hatched, they are most courageous, and will come within a few 
feet of the intruder, not even retreating when fired at, and 
dozens may be killed. They will attack a cow or horse if they 
approach their breeding places, and attack and pursue any bird 
of prey or crow that may pass near.” 
The eggs are rather broad ovals, pulled out and pointed 
towards the small end after the fashion of Snipe’s eggs, but usually 
in a less conspicuous degree. The eggs vary much both in size 
and colouring. The ground colour varies from pale brownish or 
ereenish white, through various shades of greenish olive and 
yellowish stone colour; but probably a dull, not very pale green- 
ish tint, is most common. The markings, generally most numer- 
ous about the large end, never very thickly set, and sometimes 
extremely sparse, consist of larger or smaller blotches, spots, 
and smears of varying shades of brown (redder in some, more 
olivaceous in others) and of a greater or lesser number of 
underlying grey clouds and spots, more violet in some eggs, 
more lavender in others, and occasionally dull sepia. 
In length the eggs seem to vary from I'9 to 2°35, and in 
breadth 135 to 1°52; but Dr. Rey gives the average of fifty 
eggs as 2°15 by 1°5 nearly. 
IN THIS species, if birds of the same age are compared, the 
females are very decidedly larger. Quite young birds are very 
much smaller. I propose to give only dimensions of birds which 
showed no signs of nonage, but even these included birds of very 
different ages, and, I suspect, that for at least the first three years, 
these Godwits go on under favourable conditions, steadily 
increasing in size and weight. 
The following isa résuméof the measurements of over fifty 
individuals, all of which were apparently adults, z¢., showed 
no signs of nonage :— 
Mates.—Length, 16:0 to 18'1 ; expanse, 25°0 to 29°38; wing, 7°5 
to 8°31; tail, from vent, 3°12 to 3°5; tarsus, 2.85 to 2-3in lous 
at front, (which in ¢hzs species is precisely the same as from 
gape,) 3°65 to 4'5; weight, 7°8 to 12°0 ozs. 
Fremales—Length, 18°3 to 20°'2; expanse, 28°0 to 31°3; wing, 
84 to 9:25 ; tail, from vent, 3:25 to 3:94; tarsus, 3°3 to 3°77. sbile 
at front, 4°5 to 5°1; weight, 9 ozs. to 15 ozs. 
Mr. Cripps and others have kindly furnished me with elaborate 
measurements, some of which do not agree over well with mine. 
i can only say that mine include over fifty individuals, and have 
been most carefully made; and that, where others disagree with 
these, I can only suppose that in some cases quite young birds must 
