History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

Limosa. BIRDS. PRESSIROSTRES. 107Gen. LXIX. LIMOSA. Godwit.— Bill long, recurved,compressed at the base, becoming depressed towards itsblunt tip.Outer toe connected by a web, at the base, withthe middle one.150. L. Black-tailed cegoccpliala. Godwit.— Tail black, witha white base ;the middle feathers shortest. A white spot onthe wing. Claw of the middle toe long and serrated.Fedoa secunda, Will. Orn. 216.— Scolopax Limosa jegocephala, Linn.Syst. 145,-6—Red i- Godwit, Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. 442—Red Godwitand Jadreka Snipe, Mont. Orn. Diet. Suppt.— Limosa melanura, Temm.Orn. ii. 665—A rare winter visitant.Length 18 inches; weight 12 ounces. Bill 3 i inches long, dusky at thepoint, orange at the base. Legs black. Irides hazel. Lores brown, abovewhich is a whitish-red stripe.The crown black ; the feathers bordered withred. Throat and neck red, with brown dots. Breast and sides red, with finezig-zag bars. Back black, the feathers on the scapulars with red bands. Wingcoversgrey. Belly white. Base of the quills and tail, white—In the winter,the plumage above is cinereous ; below white, with a greyish tinge on theneck.—Nest in meadows. Eggs 4, deep olive, with pale spots. The younghave the feathers on the crown brown, with red margins. The outer edge ofthe tail-feathers white, and the tip of the bill brown—This species, thoughcommon both in its Polar and Equatorial migrations in Holland, can scarcelvbe termed a regular visitant of this country. It frequents marshes, seldomapproaching the sea-shore.151. L. ritfa. Bar-tailed Godwit. — All the tail-feathersAvith black and w r hite bands. The middle feathers longest.Claw of the middle toe short and plain.Fedoa Gesneri, Will. Orn. 215— Scolopax Lapponica, Linn. Syst.i. 246.—Godwit, Penn. Brit. Zool. ii.— Common Godwit, Red-breasted Snipe,Mont. Orn. Diet—Limosa rufa, Temm. Orn. ii. 668 £, Godwit, StonePlover, Yarwhelp, Yarwhip ; S, Poor "Willie ; W, Rhostog A regularwinter visitant.Length 17', breadth 28i inches; weight 12A ounces. Bill 4 inches long,•black at the tip, livid at the base. Feet black. Irides brown. Crown red,with brown streaks. Back black, with oval marginal red spots. The wingcoversgrey, with white borders. Rump white, with brown spots. Quillsblack, mottled with white on the inner webs. Beneath deep red, with blackstreaks on the sides of the breast. The female is the largers ; plumage, above,inclines more to brown, mixed with grey; and beneath it has a tinge of yellow.In winter, the plumage above is cinereous, with brown streaks ; and beneath,white.— This species occurs in small flocks, from autumn to spang, frequentingthe sea-shore. It is not known to breed in Britain.Gen. LXX. TRINGA. Sandpiper.— Bill straight, or alittle deflected ;compressed at the base ;depressedpoint.at the152. T. subarquata.— Bill deflected, much longer than thehead. The two middle tail-feathers longest. Tarsus 17 linesin length.