6(j. ANCTL0CKILU8. 589 



The Curlew Sandpiper, Year. Brit. B. ii. p. 47 (1843). 

 Schoeuiclus chinensis, Gh'ay, List Gralke 11. M. p. 104 (1844). 

 Pelidna arquata, Brehm, Vogelf. p. 316(1855). 

 Tringa (Schoeuiclus) subarquata, Ramsay, Tab. List Austr. B. p. 20 

 (1888). 



Adult male in breeding-plumage. General colour above deep bay 

 or dark cinnamon rufous, varied with whitish edges to the feathers, 

 which are mottled with black centres, taking the form of stripes 

 on the head and back and of cross-bars on the scapulars ; lower 

 back dull ashy-brown, with whitish edges ; sides of lower back, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts white, the latter tinged with rufous, 

 and showing a few black bars ; wing-coverts brown, with whitish 

 edgings, the greater series tipped with white, forming a wing- 

 bar ; some of the coverts rufous like the back, and some of the 

 inner secondaries also rufous on their edges ; primary-coverts 

 and quills darker brown, the latter with white tips ; primaries 

 dark brown with white shafts ; the secondaries fringed with white, 

 more broadly on the shorter ones, which are white at the base of 

 the inner web ; tail-feathers ashy brown, with white fringes and 

 white shafts ; head like the back, but showing less distinct blackish 

 centres to the feathers ; the hind neck distinctly hoary, owing to 

 the grey edgings to the feathers ; sides of face and under surface of 

 body rich vinous chestnut, with more or less distinct remains of 

 hoary margins to the feathers ; vent and under tail-coverts white, 

 the latter tinged with rufous, and having a few black bars ; sides 

 of body and thinks pure white, the latter with a few black bars ; 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries pure white ; lower primary- 

 coverts and under surface of quills light ashy : bill and feet black ; 

 iris hazel. Total length 7*4 inches, culmen 1*35, wing 5*3, tail 1*9, 

 tarsus 1-15, middle toe and claw 1. 



Adult female in summer plumage. Like the male, but not so 

 richly coloured, the tint of the under surface being duller chestnut, 

 and not so vinous. Total length 7 inches, culmen 1*4, wing 4-9, 

 tail 1"8, tarsus 1T5, middle toe and claw 1. 



Adult in winU r plumage. Ashy brown above, slightly mottled with 

 darker centres to the feathers ; the wing-covcrts like the back : 

 quills as in the summer plumage ; rump and upper tail-coverts pure 

 white ; tail-feathers ashy brown, fringed with white, with white 

 shafts, and a sub-terminal bar of dusky blackish, the inner webs 

 having a good deal of white at the base; lores dusky, with a supra- 

 loral streak of white ; the under surface of the body pure white, 

 with tiny lines of dusky brown on the sides of the face, sides of 

 neck, lower throat and fore-neck. 



Young in jirst autumn plumage. Similar in general colour to the 

 winter plumage of the adult, and distinguished by the absence of 

 rufous colour in the plumage of the upper surface ; on the under 

 surface the streaks on the fore-neck are almost obsolete, and a 

 fulvescent shade overspreads the fore-neck and chest, in some spe- 

 cimens even extending to the breast itself. On the upper surface it 



