THE SICKLE-BILLED CURLEW 217 



The male and female are marked alike. Top 

 of the head indistinctly streaked with black, 

 reddish and whitish; same colors on hind neck 

 and here more distinct. Above, brownish black, 

 spotted with tawny yellow and reddish brown 

 scalloped on the edges of the feathers ; wing co- 

 verts with reddish tones predominant. Pri- 

 maries dusky, mottled with red-brown. Sec- 

 ondaries and tail feathers reddish brown with 

 regular barrings of black. Below, light reddish 

 brown, darkest on breast and under wing cov- 

 erts, paler on the throat, in fact, here nearly 

 white. Lower throat and breast streaked with 

 blackish, the markings growing larger and 

 darker on the sides of breast and body, in these 

 places becoming well defined arrow heads and 

 bars of black. Lining of wings and crissum un- 

 spotted. Legs grayish brown; the toes short 

 and stout, flattened beneath, and widely mar- 

 gined on the edges. Length very variable; 

 from twenty-four inches upward, according to 

 the age of the bird and consequent development 

 of the bill. Extent from thirty-eight to forty 

 inches. 



The Sickle-bill is a fine bird, in quality ot flesh 

 equal to any of the smaller waders and superior 

 to most, ranking high as a table delicacy. 



