392 ESQUIMAUX CURLEW. 



coverts, both upper and under, especially as on the back, not reaching 

 to the tip, it is mostly concealed by the overlapping of the feathers : on 

 the larger coverts, however, it consists of a mere streak, as well as on a 

 few of the lower tail-coverts and femorals : generally speaking, how- 

 ever, these parts, as well as the rump, upper and lower tail-coverts, 

 outer large wing-coverts, vent, all the quills, and tail-feathers are un- 

 spotted, and of a bright chocolate brown, with even a greenish gloss, 

 darker, and with purplish reflections on the quills and tail : on the con- 

 trary, on the head and neck all round, the brown color is paler and 

 duller, and as the feathers are on these parts much smaller, the more 

 extended white longitudinal spots are more closely set, producing a 

 thickly striated appearance. On the crown and cheeks the white is 

 moreover neither so pure nor well defined, which, together with the much 

 less intense ground color, gives these parts a rufous gray look : the 

 throat is entirely whitish. 



The sexes present no difference, and the young soon put on the adult 

 plumage. 



NUMENIUS BOREALIS. 



ESQUIMAUX CURLEW. 



[Plate XXVI. Fig. 3.] 



Numenius horealis, Lath. Ind. ii., p. 712, Sp. 9 (not of Ord, which is N. htidsonicus). 

 Nob. Obs. Wils. Orn. notes. Id. Cat. and Syn. Birds U. S. Sp. 244. Id. Monogr. 

 Num. in Osserv. Cuv. Rhgn. An. Id. Sp. comp. Bom. Phil. sp. Phil. 187.— Sco- 

 lopax borealis, Forst. Phil. Trans, lxii., p. 431 (not of Gmel., &c., which is 

 Numenius hudsonicus). — Numenius hrevirosiris, Light. Cat. ii., Yog. p. 75, Sp. 

 774. Te.mm. pi. col. 381. — Numenius cinereous, Seaside lesser Curleio, Bartr. 

 Trav. p. 292. — Courlis demi-bcc, Temm. he. cit. — Chorlilo champStre? Azara, iv., 

 p. 275, Sp. 307. — Esquimaux Curlew, Lath. Gen. Syn. v., p. 125. Lath. Gen. 

 Hist. IX., p. 180, Sp. 10. FoRSTER, loc. cit. not of Pennant, which is N. hud- 

 sonicus. 



In Wilson's standard work are described but two species of Curlew, 

 and no more than this are given by Temminck in his very complete and 

 excellent European Ornithology. We have brought forward three 

 North American and three European species, which, contrary to tlie 

 generally received opinion, are all distinct from each other, and different 

 in both continents, not one being found in Europe that is also an inha- 

 bitant of America. These facts, independent of any reference to the 

 almost interminable confusion pervading the works of preceding authors, 

 will sufficiently justify us in repeating here and stating with more 

 details what we have published in our Monography ; in which, if no 

 new species be introduced (and the list is already too long), we 



