656 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Soft parts. — Bill flesh-pink at base, terminal portion brownish 

 or blackish-horn ; legs and feet greenish-grey ; iris brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — L. I. baueri (E. Siberia and W. 

 Alaska) is larger, and has rump more spotted. For distinctions of 

 Limosa limosa see under that species. Distinguished from other 

 species by long straight bill, slightly recurved at tip. 



Field -characters. — Large, long-billed, long-legged birds of slender 

 form and graceful carriage, God wits are easily distinguished from 

 other British waders. Both are birds of double passage. Bar- 

 tailed is more plentiful and many winter on our coasts. It is 

 smaller, has relatively short legs, and shorter but more recurved 

 bill. In breeding dress head, neck and under-parts are bright bay, 

 whereas the bay in Black-tailed is duller and does not extend to 

 lower breast and belly. Winter plumages are more alike in their 

 ashy grey upper and pure white under-parts, but at all seasons 

 rump and tail afford infallible distinctions. Bar- tailed has rump 

 white, tail and tail-coverts barred black and white ; Black-tailed 

 has dark grey rump, and tail with broad white basal band, broad 

 black median band and narrow white tip, while broad white wing- 

 bar of Black-tailed is outstanding feature in flight. Infrequent 

 inland, both are met with chiefly in estuaries and on sandy shores, 

 where they often associate with other waders. Call of Bar-tailed 

 is a loud "low-eet, low-eet." At its breeding places in far north 

 it has a jodelling love-song, and Miss Haviland likens alarm-note 

 when young are in danger to " clapper-clapper " of a scythe 

 sharpened on a whetstone. 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds in open places in wooded country, 

 where there is vegetation, and in marshes rather than on tundra. 

 Nest. — Hollow in ground, lined with dry grasses or leaves and a few 

 feathers. Eggs. — Normally 4, pyriform, of varying shades of olive- 

 green, blotched and spotted with olive-brown, chiefly at large end. 

 Average of 51 eggs, 53.4 X 37.3. Max. : 59.5 X 37.5 and 57.2 X 39.3. 

 Min. : 49.1x36.4 and 53x35 mm. Breeding-season. — June and 

 early July. Incubation. — Shared by sexes. Period not known. 

 Single brooded. 



Food. — Insects and their larvse ; chiefly aquatic, but larvse of a 

 Geometrid moth, beetles and flies also recorded ; worms (Lumbrici) 

 and sand worms (Arenicola) ; small Crustacea (sandhoppers and 

 shrimps) and small mollusc a. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Winter- visitor and passage - 

 migrant (mid-April to mid- June and mid- July to mid-Nov.) 

 Generally distributed around all coasts, but scarce Orkneys and 

 Shetlands. Rarely inland. Many stay winter, but many, especially 

 from Yorks. southward on east coast, are only autumn and spring 

 passage -migrants. A good many non-breeders stay summer, 

 especially in parts of western Scotland and Ireland. 

 Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds in north Europe (rarely as far 



