250 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Bill much longer than tarsus (nearly one-third as long as wing), 

 compressed, tapering and distinctly decurved distaUy, its depth at 

 base equal to about one-sixth the length of exposed culmen, and 

 about one and a half times its width at same point; nasal groove 

 broad but gradually contracted anteriorly, extending nearly to tip 

 of maxilla, the mandible with a much less distinct narrow lateral 

 groove; nostril subbasal, small narrow (linear), its upper edge slightly 

 valvate or operculate; edge of loral and frontal feathering forming a 

 nearly straight vertical line, considerably posterior to the broadly 

 rounded malar antia, this very slightly if at all posterior to the mental 

 antia. Wing rather long, pointed, the longest primary (outermost) 

 exceeding distal secondaries by more than half the length of wing, 

 the longest tertials falling considerably short of tip of longest primary. 

 Tail about two-fifths as long as wing, truncate, the two middle 

 rectrices abruptly longer than the rest, narrowly rounded or sub- 

 acuminate terminally; rectrices 12. Tarsus much shorter than bill, 

 much longer than middle toe with claw, nearly one-fourth as long as 

 wing, continuously scutellate anteriorly and posteriorly; bare por- 

 tion of tibia nearly if not quite as long as middle toe without claw, 

 also scutellate before and behind; outer toe slightly but decidedly 

 shorter than middle toe, the inner toe still shorter; no web between 

 basal portion of anterior toes. 



Coloration. — Upper tail-coverts usually more or less barred with 

 dusky; summer adults with head, neck, and under parts cinnamon- 

 rufous or chestnut. 



Range. — Northern Hemisphere (but chiefly Europe and Asia), 

 migrating to Africa, India, Australia, etc.; occasional in North 

 America. 



EROLIA FERRUGINEA (Brunnich). 



CURLEW SANDPIPER. 



Adult male in summer. — Head, neck, and underparts (except anal 

 region and under tail-coverts) chestnut-rufous or hazel, the pileum 

 streaked (more or less broadly) with dusky, the hindneck very indis- 

 tinctly if at all streaked, the feathers of under parts often with more 

 or less distinct whitish tips, the chin and anterior portion of forehead 

 sometimes whitish; back, scapulars, and tertials irregularly spotted 

 with black and chestnut-rufous of cinnamon-rufous, the former in 

 form of longitudinal median, more or less cuneate, spots on inter- 

 scapulars, but of transverse tendency on scapulars and tertials; wing- 

 coverts grayish brown, indistinctly margined with paler, the greater 

 coverts tipped with white; secondaries and proximal primaries gray- 

 ish brown (slightly darker than coverts), the former narrowly margined 

 with white terminally; primary coverts and distal (longer) primaries 

 dusky, the latter with shafts mostly white; rump grayish brown or 



