262 
PRrECOCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOLA1. 
This bird retires to the south long before the frosts begin ; still, it has been met 
with as far north as latitude 71° SO'. 
This Godwit — Mr. Boardmdn tells me — is found in the neighborhood of Calais, 
Me., but is there quite rare. He was informed that a few occur in the summer on 
Prince Edward’s Island, where the species is supposed to breed, and where it has been, 
obtained in its breeding-plumage. 
Mr. Ross mentions this bird as occurring — although rarely — on the Mackenzie ; 
and Mr. Murray and Captain Blakiston both procured it on Hudson’s Bay. 
On the coast of Massachusetts it is of very irregular appearance — at least as to 
numbers — being in some seasons very common. It is stated by Mr. H. A. Purdie to 
have been quite abundant on the Hew England coast in the fall of 1873. A single 
specimen was obtained at Eastham, Nov. 3, 1878, by Mr. Frank FI. Tileston. 
This species, in its migrations in spring and fall, also visits the interior lakes and 
rivers. It is a regular visitant at Lake Koskonong, Wisconsin, where, as Mr. Kum- 
lien informs me, it appeared as early as August 15, in 1873. Mr. Nelson cites it as a 
not rare migrant in Northern Illinois, where it comes in April and reappears in 
October. 
According to Richardson, this species breeds abundantly on the Barren Ground 
near the Arctic Sea, where it feeds on insects and shelly mollusca, which it obtains in 
the small sphagnous lakes. In all its manners and habits it is similar to the Great 
Marbled Godwit. 
According to Giraud, this bird is met with on the shores of Long Island, where, 
however, it is not so plentiful as the Marbled Godwit. It is known to the hunters 
of that island as the “ Ring-tailed Marlin,” and is so called from the white band 
crossing the tail-feathers. A few are shot every season on those shores, and some 
are also procured on the more eastern sea-coast. Giraud adds that it is by no means 
a rare bird in the Middle States, though not abundant. In its habits he regards it as 
nearly allied with the fecloa, with which it sometimes associates. 
This species appears to have escaped the notice of Wilson, and to have been but 
very imperfectly known either to Audubon or to Hut tall. The latter considered it an 
infrequent visitor to the Eastern and Middle States, and conjectured that it might 
be more common on our northwestern coast ; but this is quite problematical. Two 
specimens only are recorded by Mr. Dali as having been taken near the mouth of 
the Yukon River. With this exception, none of our own explorers mention its occur- 
rence on the Pacific shores. Mr. Dali regarded it as quite rare on the Yukon. Mr. 
E. Adams, however, met with it in Alaska, on the coast of Horton Sound, where, as 
he states (“ Ibis,” 1878), a few of these birds frequented the marshes on the river- 
banks, to which they exclusively confined themselves, living upon the worms found 
there in abundance. The first seen w r ere feeding in some shallow pools, on the 21st 
of May. He afterward met with the same species at Port Clarence. 
Nuttall did not see more than two or three pairs in the course of a season. These 
were found on the neighboring coast, near Boston, and were called the “ Goose Bird.” 
One pair, obtained about September 8, were very fat and well-flavored, and had been 
feeding upon TJlva and other vegetable matter. He noticed this species in the 
Boston market from the 6tli to the 30tli of September. 
Audubon regarded this as a very rare species and unknown along the coast south 
of Maryland. He first met with it in September, 1832, in the Boston market. He 
afterward received specimens from Pictou, H. S. ; and on his way to Labrador, was 
informed by the inhabitants of the Magdalen Islands that this species breeds in the 
marshes at the extremity of the principal island. He met with none in Labrador or 
