NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 185 



Ancyhcheilus, Kaup, Sk. Ent. Eur. Thierw. 1839, 50; Typus Tringa suharquata, 

 Temm. 



Char. — Bill muclL longer than the head, slender, compressed, considerably 

 decurved, the tip not expanded, and rather hard. Grooves in both mandibles 

 very narrow, but distinct. Wings long, pointed. Tail very short, nearly even. 

 Legs long, slender; tarsus and tibia both lengthened, the latter exposed for 

 nearly or quite half the length of the former. Toes moderate, slender, slightly 

 margined, the middle one about three-fourths the tarsus. 



The essential characters of this well marked genus lie in the long, slender, 

 decurved bill, with hard unexpanded tip, the long slender legs, and very short, 

 nearly even tail. In addition, it may be stated that the groove in the upper 

 mandible, except just anterior to the nostrils, is very narrow, though deep; the 

 feathers extend between the rami scarcely further than those on the side of the 

 lower mandible, which exceed those on the upper but little ; the tip of the bill 

 is pointed and acute; the claws are all very slender and acute. In form this 

 genus approaches nearest to Pelidna, from which, however, it is perfectly dis- 

 tinct and easily recognizable. The bill of the latter is much stouter, depressed 

 instead of compressed, and the feathers extend to some distance between the 

 rami of the lower jaw. The tail is longer and deeply doubly emarginate. An 

 important difference is to be found in the legs, in the proportion of the tibia, 

 tarsus and toes. In Pelidna the toe is nearly equal to the tarsus, which is con- 

 siderably more abbreviated than in Ancylocheilus. The tibiae appear to be 

 exposed to a less extent. 



According to Gray and to the General Report, Erolia ofVieillot (Anal. 1816, 

 ut supra) is founded upon the present bird. With every disposition to rely 

 upon su'>h authority, in a careful examination of the characters of the genus ia 

 in that work and in the Nouv. Diet. (1817,) as well as of j.Erolia in the Galerie, 

 (1834,) I have been unable to reconcile them with those of the bird now under 

 consideration. In all the>e works, apparently the most important characters 

 are stated to be the absence of the hind toe, and the presence of a membrane 

 between the outer and middle, neither of which features exist in the Scolopax 

 siibarquata, Guld. In the Galerie, reference is made to the Nouv. Dirt., (x. page 

 409,) where the genus is fully characterized. A portion of the diagnosis is 

 as follows: — " Erolie, Urolia Yielll. Genre de I'Ordre des Echassiers, et de la 

 famille des JSgialitcs. — trois doigts devant, point derrihre ; les exterieurs unis d 

 la base par une membrane, I'enterne libre. Ce genro ne content qu'une espece 

 qui se trouve en Afrique, et dont on ne connoit que la depouille."' It will be 

 seen that the author places the bird (" dont on ne connoit que la depouille '') 

 not only ia a different genus, but in a family entirely distinct from the Sand- 

 pipers ; and the description of " L'Erolie varie, Erolia variegata, Vieill., which 

 follows, I cannot identify with any plumage of Tringa subarquata with which I 

 am acquainted. It should also be borne in mind that Vieillot (Nouv. Diet., ut 

 infra) correctly describes the present bird under the name of " Le tringa cocorli, 

 T. subarquata, Temm.," .and no reference whatever is made to Erolia. Now, it 

 is by no means impossible that Erolia variegata may have been positively 

 identified with T. subarquata by actual examination of the type specimen, or 

 otherwise; but even in that case I do not think the name should be adopted. 

 The position of Erolia variegata in the system is very different from that which. 

 Tringa subarquata occupies, and the characters of the genus as published to the 

 world are widely at variance with those presented by that bird. 



From these considerations therefore I have adopted Ancylocheilus of Kaup, 

 (1829,) concerning which there is no doubt. 



Ancylocheilus subarquata (Guld.) Kaup.— Curlew Sandpiper. 



Scolopax subarquata, Guldenstaedt, Nov. Com. Petrop. 1775, xix. 471, tab. xviii. 



fide Gen. Rep. Gmelin, Syst. Nat. 1788, i. 658. 

 1861.] 



