314 LIMICOL.?^. 



The North-American Black Oystercatcher is said (Pallas, Zoogr. 

 Rosso-Asiat. ii. p. 131) to be a common bird on the Kurilc Islands, 

 but I have never seen any examples from the Asiatic continent, I 



Bill of Hamatiipuii niycr. Xiitiiral size. 



have a skin procured by Wossnesensky on the Aleutian Islands, 

 where it is known as a summer visitor. Its breeding-range extends 

 along the soutlicrn coast of Alaska as far south as the coast of Upper 

 California. It winters on the coast of Lower California. 



315. NUMENIUS ARQUATUS. 

 (COMMON CURLEW.) 



Scolopn.r arqnata, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 242 (170()). 



The Eastern race of the Common Curlew completely intcrgrades 

 with the Western or typical race, but it was described as distinct as 

 long ago as 1829 under the name of Numenius lineatus (Cuvier, Rej;. 

 An. i. p. 521). It can, however, only be regarded as subspecifieally 

 distinct under the name of Numenius arquatus lineatus. It is a large 

 bird (tarsus more than three inches long), and it has a white lower 

 back and rum|). 



It diti'ers from the European form in Imving the lower back and 

 the axillarics without any dark markings, in having whiter margins 

 to the scapulars and the feathers of the upper back, and in having, 

 on an average, a longer bill (varying from 5^ to 8 instead of from 4^ 

 to 7 inches). 



The Oriental race of the Common Curlew was probably found l)y 



