THE HUDSONIAN GODWIT. 337 
small, compressed, slightly arched, obtuse, that of middle toe with the inner 
edge curved outwards and thin. 
Plumage soft on the head, neck and lower parts blended, on the back 
imbricated ; all the feathers oblong and rounded. Wings long, very acute, 
narrow ; primaries tapering, the first longest, the second little shorter, the 
rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries incurved, obliquely rounded, with a 
recurved tip, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, of twelve 
rounded feathers, slightly forked, but with the two middle feathers a little 
longer than those next them. 
Bill greyish-yellow, dark brown along the ridge of the upper mandible, 
and blackish towards the tips of both. Iris brown. Feet light greyish-blue. 
The head and neck brownish-grey, with darker lines ; a band from the bill 
over the eye, and the throat greyish-white ; the back deep grey ; the 
scapulars brownish-black, with small white markings on the edges of the 
feathers ; the smaller wing-coverts, alula, primary quills and their coverts 
brownish-black ; the secondaries lighter, and with their inner webs pale 
grey ; tips of the primary coverts and bases of the quills, white, as is a 
broad band over the rump. Tail feathers and upper tail-coverts brownish- 
black, their bases white, and their tips narrowly edged with brownish- 
white. The lower parts are bright yellowish-red, the sides mottled with 
dark brown ; the abdomen and lower tail-coverts paler and variegated with 
dusky ; the lower wing-coverts blackish-brown, edged with whitish. 
Length to end of tail 15£ inches, to end of wings 16f, to end of claws 
191 ; wing from flexure 8£ ; tail 3^ ; extent of wings 28 ; bill along the 
back 3 t 7 2 ; along the edge of lower mandible 3 y 6 o ; bare part of tibia 11 ; 
tarsus 2i ; middle toe 1 T V, its claw f^. Weight 9 oz. 
Young Female in winter. 
The bill, iris and feet, as in the adult male. Upper part of the head 
dusky, with darker lines ; sides of the head, and the neck, greyish-yellow ; 
a whitish band over the eye. The lower parts are pale brownish-grey, the 
upper brownish-grey ; the fore part of the back and scapulars brownish- 
black, the feathers edged with light brownish-red ; the wing-coverts 
brownish-grey ; the quills as in the adult, as is the tail, anterior to which 
is also a broad white band. 
In September, 1835, I shot, near Edinburgh, a young individual of 
Limosa rufa, which I had previously observed for some time. It thrust its 
bill into the wet sand in the same manner as the Woodcock ; and I was 
much surprised, on taking it up, to see that its bill was perfectly straight in 
jts whole length. When I opened it, however, in order to place a little 
cotton in its throat, a sudden spring-like movement of the mandibles made 
