GREAT CURLEW. 245 



thirds of their length. The wings are very long, narrow, 

 and pointed ; the quills thirty ; the first longest, the other 

 primaries rapidly graduated ; the secondaries slightly in- 

 curved with a minute tip, some of the inner much elon- 

 gated and tapering. There are seven stiffish tertiaries, 

 concealed hy the scapulars. The tail is short, rounded, 

 of twelve acuminate feathers, the two middle considerably 

 longer. 



The base of the lower mandible and basal margins of the 

 upper are flesh-coloured, the rest black. The iris is brown. 

 The feet are bluish-grey ; the claws black. The head and 

 neck are light yellowish-red, tinged with grey, each feather 

 having a central blackish-brown streak, darker and broader 

 oh the upper part of the head. The fore part of the back 

 and the scapulars are darker, their central black markings 

 broader and continued to the tip ; the scapulars with serri- 

 form yellowish-red spots on the edges. The small wing- 

 coverts are lighter, but similarly marked ; the primary 

 coverts brownish-black, with the tip white ; the primaries 

 deep brown, the shaft of the first Avhite, of the rest hair 

 brown ; the first five quills unspotted on the outer web, the 

 rest with serriform white spots on the outer, and all with 

 similar larger spots on the inner w r eb ; the secondary coverts 

 and first series of smaller coverts similarly marked. The 

 back is white, with narrow longitudinal black marks ; the 

 upper tail-coverts barred with black. The tail is white, 

 towards the end tinged with red, and having twelve brownish- 

 black bands. The breast, sides, and abdomen are white ; the 

 first with lanceolate spots, the second with broader lanceolate 

 spots and bars, the last nearly pure ; the lower tail-coverts 

 with narrow lanceolate spots ; the tibia white, with a few 

 narrow streaks ; the lower wing-coverts white, spotted and 

 barred with dusky. 



Length to end of tail 25 inches, to end of wings 23f , to 

 end of toes 27f ; extent of wings 42 ; bill along the ridge 

 6|-, along the edge of lower mandible 6^ ; wing from flexure 

 12£; tail 4^; tarsus 3-^; first toe -fe, its claw^-; second 

 toe 1-j^-, its claw-^; third toe If, its ckw -fa ; fourth toe 

 1^, its claw 1 3 5 -. 



