CURLEW-BILLED SANDPIPER. 217 



the upper part, longitudinally grooved in the rest of its ex 

 tent. The intestine is fifteen inches long, from three- 

 twelfths to a twelfth and a half in width ; the rectum little 

 enlarged ; the coeca an inch and a quarter from the extremity 

 of the gut, an inch and a half in length, cylindrical, scarcely 

 a twelfth in width. 



The eyes are small, their aperture measuring only two 

 and a half twelfths. That of the ear is round, and three- 

 twelfths in diameter. The nostrils are linear, a twelfth and 

 a half in length. The legs are slender, and rather long ; the 

 tibia bare for eight-twelfths of an inch ; the tarsus an inch 

 and a quarter in length, with thirty anterior scutella ; the 

 first toe very diminutive, with seven scutella, the second 

 with twenty-two, the third with thirty, the fourth with 

 twenty-eight scutella ; the outer toe a little longer than the 

 inner, and slightly webbed at the base. The claws are very 

 small, slightly curved, compressed, and rather blunt. 



The plumage is soft and blended ; the feathers of the 

 head and neck very narrow and oblong, of the back ovato- 

 oblong, and compact. The wings are very long, extending 

 a quarter of an inch beyond the tail, of twenty-five quills ; 

 the first quill longest, the other primaries rapidly graduated ; 

 the secondaries are incurved, and obliquely obtuse, excepting 

 the inner five, which are elongated and tapering. The tail 

 is short, doubly emarginate, the two middle feathers being 

 a little longer than the lateral. 



The bill is black, with the base of the lower mandible 

 greenish-brown ; the iris brown ; the feet very dark olive, 

 when dry seeming greyish-black. The general colour of the 

 upper parts is light brownish-grey, each feather with a dark 

 brown central streak ; the sides of the head and neck, the 

 fore part of the latter, and a small part of the breast and 

 sides of the body, greyish-white, streaked with brownish- 

 grey, and on the neck tinged with brown. A greyish-white 

 streak extends from the bill over the eye ; the loral space is 

 faintly marked with grey ; the throat, breast, abdomen, and 

 lower tail-coverts are white, as are the lower wing-coverts, 

 excepting those margining the wing, which are grey, edged 

 with white. The primary quills and coverts are greyish- 



