BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. 
193 
tain, it ranges, in summer, so far north as Lapland 
and Greenland, and specimens have been received, 
in the winter dress, from the vicinity of Tangiers, 
and parts of Northern Africa.* Japan, and the isles 
of Sunda are also given to it.t Of old, the Black- 
tailed Godwit was considered a delicacy for the 
table, and at present they are occasionally taken, 
during or previous to the breeding season, and fatted 
by the fen men for the London markets; hut Mr. 
Yarrell does not consider them to be held in such 
high estimation for the table as the ruff, when treated 
in the same manner. The long legs, neck, and bill 
of this bird, with the great naked space above the 
tarsal joint, give somewhat of a heron appearance 
to it, and remove it from the more squat or lowly 
figure of the plovers and true tringae. The Godwits 
assume red in different shades as their breeding plu- 
mage, and, at this season, the head, neck, breast, 
and flanks of this Godwit are pale brownish-orange, 
very pale around the eyes and on the throat, upon 
the crown having the centre of each feather marked 
longitudinally with brownish-black, and having the 
breast and flanks barred irregularly with the same 
colour, the marks on the flanks becoming very broad 
and distinct. The belly, neck, and under tail-coverts, 
nearly white, also barred broadly with blackish- 
browm. The ground colour of the back is a rich 
blackish-brown, tinted with purple, broadly barred, 
and cut into with pale orange-coloured brown ; the 
rump and tail-coverts, and base of the tail, are pure 
* Yarrell. + Temmincls. 
N 
