396 
LIMOSA HUDSON 1C A. 
GENUS X1T. LIMOSA. THE GOD WITS. 
Gen. Cn. Bill, more than twice as long as head, slender, not expanded at tip, but slightly curved upward. Coracoids, 
exceeding in length the height of heel. Marginal indentations, four in young, two in adult. 
The stomach is cuboid in form, quite muscular, and is lined with a hard rugose membrane. The legs are stout and 
there are prominent membranes between tods; hut, excepting these differences and those given above, members of this ge¬ 
nus resemble the preceding in anatomical and other characters. Sexes, quite similar. There are two species within our 
limits. 
LIMOSA HUDSONICA. 
Hudsonian Godwit. 
Limosa Hudsonica Sw., F. B. A., II; 1831. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Form, robust. Size, medium. Toes, slightly margined. Tongue, long, somewhat fleshy, narrowing grad¬ 
ually to tip which is pointed. 
Color. Adult. Above, dark-brown, spotted and banded with reddish. Wings, dark-brown, with base of primaries 
and secondaries, and tips of greater wiDg coverts, white. Smaller wing coverts, ashy. Upper tail coverts and base of tail, 
white, remainder of latter very dark-brown, tipped with reddish-ash. Beneath, yellowish-red, banded on breast, sides, 
and under tail coverts, with dark-brown. Axillaries and under wing coverts, black. 
Young. Yellowish-ash above, streaked and spotted with dark-brown. Beneath, ashy-white, darkest aero® breast; 
otherwise similar to the adult. Bill, brown, yellow at base, iris and legs, brown, in all stages. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Winter birds are sometimes mottled beneath with red. Readily known by the white upper tail coverts, very dark tail, 
long, upturned bill, and black axillaries and under wing coverts. Distributed, in summer, throughout Arctic America. 
Not uncommon on the coast of the Northern States in autumn. Winters south of the United States. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 14-82; stretch, 26-40; wing, 8 - 25; tail, 
2 75; bill, 2'25; tarsus, 2 92. Longest specimen, 15• 25; greatest extent of wing, 27'80; longest wing, 8'50; tail, 3 00; bill, 
230; tarsus, 3 05. Shortest specimen, 14 50, smallest extent of wing, 26-00; shortest wing, 8 00; tail, 2 50; bill, 2'20; tar¬ 
sus, 2-80. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Eggs, placed on the ground in aslight depression of the soil, on a little grass, etc., three or four in number, pyriform 
in shape, very dark greenish-brown in color, somewhat obscurely spotted and blotched with dark-brown. Dimensions 
from 1-35x205 to P40x2-20. 
HABITS. 
The Hudsonian Godwits are not of uncommon occurrence along our New England coast 
in autumn, generally arriving late in September and often remaining until November. 
They frequent sandy shores, resting on sand spits, from which they rise when approached, 
with a loud cry, characteristic of both members of the genus, and fly swiftly away, when 
the white upper tail coverts appear quite prominently, gaining for them the name of Spot 
Rumps among sportsmen. Birds found with us, are either plain ashy white below or mot¬ 
tled with red, but when in their full spring dress, in which they never visit us, however, 
as they pass to their far northern breeding grounds, through the West, they are veiy hand¬ 
some birds. I have never met with Hudsonian Godwits in Florida, and if they occur there 
at all, it is as rare migrants. 
LIMOSA FEDOA. 
Marbled Godwit. 
Limosa fedoa Ord, ed. Wils., VII; 1825. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sr. Cii. Form, robust. Size, large. Toes, well margined. Tongue, very long, thin, and slender, gradually taper¬ 
ing'toward tip which is pointed. 
