Mr. R. Swiuboe on Amoy Ornithology. 391 



the nuptial season, when P. capillatus has its head sprinkled 

 with long white fibres, and P. sinensis with narrow cream- 

 coloured feathers. 



Dec. 25th. — Went up the Amoy Creek at nearly high tide, 

 and bagged three Curlews. They were all Numenius major, 

 which assembles there in large flocks. Up the river N. arcu- 

 atus is the commoner species. The two are sometimes found 

 together on the mud, though the flocks of neither kind appear 

 to commingle ; and when a Curlew is wounded, I note that 

 individuals only of his own species come to condole with him. 

 N. major can be distinguished at a long distance by its much 

 larger bill ; but I cannot say that I have discovered any difl"er- 

 ence between the wail of the two species. I believe them, 

 however, to be quite distinct. When they fii'st arrive from the 

 north they are fine eating ; but a stay of a month or so with us is 

 enough to turn them fishy in flavour. 



Numenius major, ? . Bill, upper mandible wood-brown, 

 blacker on culmen and towards tip, greyer on base-skin, and 

 pale (approaching to flesh-colour) under the nostril and along 

 the tomia for some way beyond line of nostril; lower mandible 

 for half its basal length flesh-pink, the rest wood-brown. Iris 

 deep hazel. Inside of mouth flesh-colour. Legs washed with 

 leaden and faintly tinged with olive-green, nails deep brown. 



Dissection. — Proventriculus "12 in. by '6 in. Gizzard rounded, 

 somewhat heart-shaped, in three lobes, quite flat on intestine 

 side, with an edge, very muscular, 2 in. in diameter, by 1 in. 

 deep ; outer lobes composed of thick muscles "7 in. thick ; 

 lower lobe containing the maw ; epithelium containing remains 

 of small Crustacea. One csecum -i in. long, -2 in. thick, the 

 other -25 in. shorter, both bluish. About 2 feet from the anus 

 occurs the csecal appendage, doubled on itself, 1"5 in. long by 

 •2 in. thick, somewhat pointed and white. Intestine white, 

 about 4 feet long, and from '2 in. to --l in. thick. Rings of 

 trachea smaller and closer set than those of bronchi. Lower 

 larynx with bony side-supports, projecting behind, and meeting 

 in front in an open peak. Stcrno-tracheal muscles given off" 

 from sides of trachea ; no muscles at the lower larynx. 



