THE BIRDS OF MESOPOTAMIA. 
669 
Both Wood and Green Sandpipers are fairly common. They arrive during 
August and both are recorded up to the middle of May by which time most have 
gone. Whereas the Green Sandpiper is certainly present all the winter, there 
are only two records of the Wood Sandpiper after October, odd birds being record- 
ed by Pitman in February and December, so that in the main the latter species 
is a i>assrge migrant and probably the former to some extent elso. 
266. Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa. 
Limosa limosa (L.) (Syst. Nat. Ed. x, p. 147, 1758 — Sweden). 
A common winter visitor frequenting the muddy margins of floods, etc. It 
arrives early in August and probably departs again in April and May. A certain 
number however spend the summer in the Euphrates marshes, as round Museyib 
and Ratawi ; these of course are non-breeding birds as is the case with many 
other waders. 
Six specimens examined : L. Akkarkuf, 12-8-17; 17-8-17 (C. R. P.) ; 9> 
Baghailah, 11-3-17 (Ingoldby) ; S 9>E- Akkarkuf, 10-17; S, Amara, 17-2-18 
(P. A. B.). 
267. Bar=tailed Qodwit. Limosa lapponica. 
Limosa lapponica (L.) (Syst. Nat. Ed. x, p. 147, 1758 — Lappland). 
Recorded by Pitman from the mud banks of the Shat-al-Aiab in January.* It 
is probably common there. 
268 Common Curlew. Numenius arquata. 
Numenius arquata (L.) (Syst. Nat. Ed. x, p. 145, 1758 — Sweden). 
Common as a winter visitor and also as a passage migrant. Gumming says 
it arrives at Fao in July and leaves in March. Pitman records it as first seen in 
the Hindia marshes on July 10th, and huge flocks were passing over to the south- 
east during the first week in August near Baghdad. On the return passage he 
noted large flocks frequently from mid-April to May 25th at Feluja going north- 
east in the evenings. 
It is equally at home on the floods and marshes as on the foreshore at Fao. 
One skin : Amara, 8-1-18 (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.). 
269. Whimbrel. Numenius phseopus. 
Numenius phceopus (L.) (Syst. Nat. Ed. x, p. 146, 1758 — Sweden). 
Common passage migrant, arrives in July and August and the passage lasts 
till the end of September. Passes through again in April and May. Some may 
overwinter as Gumming records it as a winter visitor to Fao, and odd ones 
may pass the summer since Magrath records it from near Amara on June 30th. 
270. Slender-billed Curlew. Numenius tenuirostris. 
Numenius tenuirostris, Vieill. (N. Diet. d’Hist. Nat. viii, 1817, p. 302 — ' 
Egypt). 
Status quite unknown. Buxton saw many on December 16th, 1917, in a tempo- 
rary winter lake in a hollow in the bare desert ten miles north of Amara and secur- 
ed a specimen. This is the only definite record. 
271. Black-wing’ed Stilt. Himantopus bimantopus. 
Himantopus himantopus (L.) (Syst. Nat. Ed. x, p. 151, 1758 — Egypt). 
Resident and common in the larger marshes, spreading out in winter to tempo- 
rary floods, etc. Magrath records that it breeds in the marshes above Amara but 
was much disturbed by shell fire in 1916. 
Numbers breed on the Suweikiyeh marsh, some breed near Basra, and Pitman 
found it breeding plentifully in the Hindia and Museyib marshes. The first 
nest he found was on May 31st containing three incubated eggs ; the nest was 
