0Vt J yttAJtJ _ _ _ 
7. Limosa hudsonica. Hudsonian Godwit. — A female was shot 
by Mr. Tileston on Capo Cod, November 2, 1878 ; also late in tlie season 
for this species. — T. M. Brewer, Boston, Mass. 
Bull* IT, 0,0. 4, Jan, 1878. p <S V ■ 
BirdB of Bristol County, Mass. 
F. W. Andros. 
Limosa hcemastica (Linn.) Hudsonian God- 
wit. Migrant, rare. Exceptional cases noted. 
O.&O. XII. Sept. 1887 p.138 
Shore Birds of Cape Cod. 
John C. Gaboon. 
Hudsonian Godwit, Limosa hcemastica, (Linn.) 
Spot-rump on Cape Cod. A rare spring and 
tolerably common migrant in the autumn. It 
passes the Cape coast in the spring between 
the first and last weeks in May. In the autumn 
they arrive about the middle of September and 
individuals are seen from this period at inter- 
vals until the last of October. They are more 
often seen from the 25th of September to the 
10th of October. They are usually seen after a 
heavy south-easterly storm and for this reason 
are quite irregular in appearance. They fre- 
quent the sand flats, low beaches and marshes, 
after the manner of the Curlews. I am told by 
old gunners that they were at one time very 
common on the Cape. 
O.&'O. XIII, Sept. 1888 p. 130 
7 1 
Hudsonian Godwit ( Limosa hcemastica) in Massachusetts. — Dur- 
ing the latter part of the summer, more especially during late August and 
early September, there was quite a flight of Hudsonian Godwit along the 
coast. Though this bird is not distinctly very rare within the borders of 
this State it is so uncommon that but very few are seen or shot in any one 
season. This summer and fall there were more birds than there have been 
for a number of years. The total of those I could get definite reliable 
records of show 25 shot on 17 different dates. There are also records of 
more seen, some of which are authentic while others are questionable. The 
latter I have carefully excluded from the list but mention them later on. 
A reliable gunner at Chatham, who has been shooting for about twenty 
years, informed me that he had not in his experience seen or heard of their 
being so many around. All my records are from localities south of Boston, 
for I found none for the northern part of the State. It may be of interest 
to tabulate these below : — 
Auk 28. Apr-1011 p 26 ~? 
tame and decoyed readily. However, on September 5, during a heavy 
easterly storm with a downpour of rain, a flock of 30—35 birds went ovei 
our stand at Chatham. Instead of alighting, as we supposed they would 
do, for they appeared very much exhausted, they continued their slow 
flight and disappeared going due south in the heaviest part of the storm. 
However, a man a short way below us shot three of these birds as we 
watched them go over him high up, and later we found someone else above 
us had shot one from the same flock only a minute or two earlier. One of 
these men estimated that the flock contained over 40 birds, so my figures 
may be too low or else, after he fired the birds may have separated so that 
we might have seen only part of the original flock. 
I believe Hudsonian Godwit are now rarely seen on the Atlantic coast in 
such numbers. In August, 1907, a similar flock was seen at Ipswich, out 
of which several birds were shot, and the gunners there considered such a 
flock of rare occurrence. Another gunner at Chatham reported having 
seen a flock of from 50—75 large birds, which from his description probably 
were Godwit, as he is well acquainted with all the other common shore 
birds. On inquiring of the M. Abbot Frazar Co., I found but two specimens 
in their shop being mounted. Mr. F. A. Webster of Hyde Park wrote me 
that but one bird had been sent to him. He said someone reported having 
seen a flock of birds at Winthrop, evidently Godwit, and that someone else 
had shot two which had been eaten. These are the only reports I was able 
to collect besides the actual records of those shot. Mr. T. C. Wilson of 
Ipswich writes that he had shot none and to his knowledge none had been 
seen there this year. Of the specimens I saw the majority were adult 
birds with distinct traces of their nuptial plumage. Unquestionably there 
was an unusually large flight of these birds during the early fall. 
S. Prescott Fay, Boston, Mass. 
AUk 23. Apr-1911 lb 
/s 
