COMMON GODWIT. 
197 
colour. The axillary feathers are white, crossed 
diagonally with clove-brown, set in distinct bars, 
and in this is easily distinguised from the last, where 
they are pure white. In the winter state, the head 
in all its parts is greyish-white, broadly marked 
along the centre of the feathers with clove-brown. 
The neck and breast are wood-brown, the centre of 
each feather darker, and this shades into a very pale 
tint, approaching almost to pure white on the vent 
and lower tail-coverts, having the shafts of the fea- 
thers on the flanks, only relieving it by a dark thread- 
like streak. In specimens in this state, the axillary 
feathers show little of the angular barring, but have 
only an interrupted patch on the webs. On the 
upper parts, the ground colour is very rich purplish 
clove-brown, cut into with yellowish-white or pale 
wood-brown, in the centre of the back having the 
markings running in lines, and on the shoulders 
and coverts, having the edgings so broad, as almost 
to give the pale tint to those places. The rump is 
pure white, very conspicuous during flight ; the 
upper tail-coverts and tail similar, now without any 
rufous tint, and are very distinctly barred with deep 
clove-brown. The bill, in both states, is blackish- 
brown for more than half its length, becoming paler 
towards the base, and there tinted with pink. Feet 
and legs dark greyish-green. 
