of the United States. 313 



inollusca, and other marine animals, which they seek in the 

 mud ; feeling and taking their prey without seeing it, by 

 means of their sensible bill.* Monogamous; breed on the 

 ground in marshy grasses, or in the sand ; lay generally four 

 pyriform eggs ; both sexes incubating, and attending the 

 young : young leave the nest, run about, and pick up their food 

 as soon as hatched. Flesh esculent. 



50. NUMENIUS. 



Numenius, Briss. Lath. Cuv. III. Vieill. Temm. Ranz. 

 Scolopax, L. Gm. Tantalus, Lacep. 



Bill very long, slender, almost cylindrical, slightly com- 

 pressed, arcuated, entire ; upper mandible longer, furrowed 

 for three fourths of its length, dilated, and rounded towards 

 tip ; nostrils in the furrow, basal, lateral, longitudinal, oblong : 

 tongue very short, acute. Feet rather elongated, slender, 

 4- toed ; naked space of the tibia moderate ; tarsus half longer 

 than the middle toe ; toes short, stout, bordered, somewhat 

 rough beneath ; fore toes connected at base by a short mem- 

 brane to the first articulation ; hind toe a little longer than 

 a phalanx of the middle one, bearing on the ground at tip : 

 nails compressed, curved, acute, the cutting edge of the mid- 

 dle one entire. First primary longest. Tail somewhat 

 rounded, of twelve feathers. 



Female similar to the male both in size and color. Young 

 differing but little from the adult, but well distinguished by 

 their much shorter and straighter bill. Moult annually, 

 late in the season. Colors dull, a mixture of grayish-brown, 

 rusty, white and blackish, hardly varying in the different 

 species. 



* In these birds the bill is wholly or partially covered whh a nervous and 

 sensitive skin. 



