GOD W T ^r. 
HLACK-TAIL ED 
UMOHA MELANURA. 
From the inforrnahon I was enabled to gather ndiile shooting and collecting in the marshlands of tlie 
east of Norfolk, this species appears to haye been scarce in the earlier days of even the oldest fenmen 
Though these birds have long ceased to breed in this locality, I seldom passed the spring on Breydon 
mudflats, or the broads about Iliekling, without meeting with one or two specimens, stragglers evidently still 
continuing to pass over and occasionally to alight for a short time about their old haunts at the season of 
migration. 
On referring to my notes for 1871, I find that small parties of Black-tailed Godwits were seen re-ularlv 
or two or three dys on the hills of some of the Pottei-neighain marshes during the first week in°Moy‘- 
the whole of these birds proved exceedingly wary, and in the end escaped without offering a ehanee of a 
shot. Their shrill eries were sure to attract attention, little diffleulty being experienced in aseerfainiim if 
they vere in the vicinity when once on wing. The flight of this species will readily be recognized by those 
w^o have previously met with opportunities for observing their actions; while eireling ove°r tlm 
hey usually keep a a considerable elevation, the movements of the wings appearing slow and re<mlar I 
have, however, watched them on more than one occasion dash down and sw-oop to the ground with almost 
m same actions as the Smpe. A few days later (on the lltli of the mouth), when shootim. on Breydon an 
ex^edingly deeply eolonred bird (evidently in full breeding-plumage) settled on the open flats at a safe 
stance from any of the drains, and after remaining feeding for an hour or two, well out of raime of even the 
leanest punt-gun. eventually took its departure unmolested, flying towards the north-east 
note, loud 
1'1-om the entries in my journals it appears that the number of Black-tail erl rnrlwif. 
Selmte ra r r T ntl^owereeommonlyin those days visited about the middir„“ 
fliff U 1 ew small parties ot immature birds; at this season they were usually confidino- but little 
"e?.l ® experienced in procuring any specimens required. On the Kith and 17th orCe:i:b™ 185^ 
IVntel 1 * ““ny other 11 aders, were especially numerous about the pools near the Winchelsea’ 
1 mo;!rb"’r ■“ ^ ™-“ked Lt tins spects “i: 
frequented by the’ Z-tailed Gorr''’l“^^^ ''“iT, ““‘l-^nnks 
Redshanks BmiT i c i • ^ lepeatcdly observed them, in company with Greenshanks 
as all tlie’ andpipers, about the pools near Bye, and with Green and Wood-Sandpipers as Avell 
fl-Li ‘;,r :‘r:er^,;;“ an:;e:id! 
P ^ p invariably dissolved when rising on wing. During the autumn of 1871 and tlie 
