58 



TELL-TALE GODWIT, OR SNIPE 



continually nodding their heads ; and were called there Stone 

 Curlews.^ 



The Tell-tale seldom flies in large flocks^ at least during sum- 

 mer. It delights in watery bogs, and the muddy margins of creeks 

 and inlets ; is either seen searching about for food, or standing in 

 a watchful posture, alternately raising and lowering the head, and 

 on the least appearance of danger utters its shrill whistle, and 

 mounts on wing, generally accompanied by all the feathered tribes 

 that are near. It occasionally penetrates inland along the muddy 

 shores of our large rivers, seldom higher than tide water, and then 

 singly and solitary. They sometimes rise to a great height in the 

 air, and can be distinctly heard when beyond the reach of the eye. 

 In the Fall when they are fat their flesh is highly esteemed, and 

 many of them are brought to our markets. The colors and mark- 

 ings of this bird are so like those of the preceding, that unless in 

 point of size, and the particular curvature of the bill, the descrip- 

 tion of one might serve for both. 



The Tell-tale is fourteen inches and a half long, and twenty- 

 five inches in extent; the bill is two inches and a quarter long, of 

 a dark horn color, and slightly bent upwards ; the space round the 

 eye, chin and throat, pure white ; lower part of the neck pale ashy 

 white, speckled with black; general color of the upper parts an 

 ashy brown, thickly spotted with black and dull white, each fea- 

 ther being bordered and spotted on the edge with black ; wing 

 quills black; some of the primaries, and all of the secondaries with 

 their coverts, spotted round the margins with black and white; 

 head and neck above streaked with black and white; belly and 

 vent pure white; rump white, dotted with black; tail also white, 

 barred with brown ; the wings when closed reach beyond the tail ; 

 thighs naked nearly two inches above the knees ; legs two inches 

 and three quarters long; feet four-toed, the outer joined by a mem- 



* Arct. Zool, p. 468. 



