156 



KEY TO THE AVATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 



small streams of fresh water and also on sand beaches, usually selecting 

 rocky places. It breeds nearly throu<;jhout its range, the eggs being buff 

 white or pale brown spotted with dark brown, mostly on the larger end. 



Genus NUMENIUS Brisson. 



Niinieiiiiis Inngirostris 



NUHENIUS LONGIROSTRIS /F/A. 

 Long=bined Curlew. Sickle=bin. 



Adult in sitiiiiiier: Upper parts marked with l)uff and black ; tail feathers alternately 

 banded with tawny buff and brown ; throat whitish ; rest of under parts pale reddisli brown, 

 becoming very light on the belly; breast narrowly striped witli l)rown on the middle of tiie 

 feathers; bill very long. 



Adult in winter : General plumage tawny brown ; the back blackish, mottled with buff: 

 top of the head dark brown ; the feathers edged with tawny ; throat white ; under part pale 

 buff brown ; feathers on the lower throat and upper breast finely lined with dark brown ; bill 

 very long and curved downward : bill black, becoming dull lilac brown on basal half of the 

 mandible. 



Length, 26; Wing, 10.50; Tarsus, 2.30; Bill very variable, measuring from 2.50 to 9. 



The immature of this species has the bill nearly straight but quite short, sometimes not ex- 

 ceeding two inches in length. 



Ranges from temperate North America south to Central America and the 

 West Indies. It breeds in the Southern Atlantic States, but is now not 

 common on the Atlantic coast, and is becoming less so every year. The 

 eggs are described as olive gray in color, spotted with chocolate brown. 



