. History of British birds : the figures engraved on wood . amidft the fens, fearching for their food inthe mud and wet foil, where they remain duringthe day, fhaded and hidden among reeds and rufhes,in that obfcurity which their timidity makes themprefer. They feldom remain above a day or twoin the fame place, and it often happens that in themorning not one is to be found in thofe marflieswhere they were numerous the evening remove in a flock in the night, and, whenthere is moonlight, may be feen and heard pallingat a vafl height. Their bills are long and flender,and, like the com
. History of British birds : the figures engraved on wood . amidft the fens, fearching for their food inthe mud and wet foil, where they remain duringthe day, fhaded and hidden among reeds and rufhes,in that obfcurity which their timidity makes themprefer. They feldom remain above a day or twoin the fame place, and it often happens that in themorning not one is to be found in thofe marflieswhere they were numerous the evening remove in a flock in the night, and, whenthere is moonlight, may be feen and heard pallingat a vafl height. Their bills are long and flender,and, like the common Snipes, are fmooth and bluntat the tip : their legs are of various colours, andlong. When purfued by the fportfman, they runwith great fpeed, are very reftlefs, fpring at a greatdiftance, and make a fcream as they rife. Theirvoice is fomewhat extraordinary, and has been com-pared to the fmothered bleating of a goat. Theydelight in fait marlhes, and are rare in countries^remote from the fe?i. Their flefh is delicate andexcellent food. 78 BRITISH GODWIT. COMMON GODWIT, GODWYN, YARWHELP, OR YARWIP.{Scolopax csgocephala, Lin.—La grande Barge grtfe^ BuflF.) The weight of this bird is about twelve ounces ;length about fixteen inches: the bill is four incheslong, and bent a little upwards, black at the point,gradually foftening into a pale purple towards thebafe ; a whitilh ftreak pafles from the bill over eacheye: the head, neck, back, fcapulars, and coverts,are of a dingy reddifli pale brown, each feathermarked down the middle with a dark fpot. Thefore part of the breafl is ftreaked with black; thebelly, vent, and tail are v^^hite, the latter regularlybarred with black: the webs of the firft fix quillfeathers are black, edged on the interior fides with BRITISH BIRDS. 79 reddlfh brown: the legs are in general dark colour-ed, inclining to a greenilh blue. The Godwit is met with in various parts of Eu-rope, Afia, and America : in Great Britain, in thefpring and fummer, it
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