272 



CURLEWS. 



THE next form, or that of the Curlews, which we 

 have placed last, reminds and leads us back to 

 that of the Tantalidce or Ibis, which we saw in 

 the single British representative figured on our 

 Plate X. They are, like them, also birds of con- 

 siderable size ; are chiefly maritime, except during 

 the season of incubation ; and, at that time, return 

 to the wild subalpine pastures, the prairies or step- 

 pes of their respective countries, where their wild 

 notes are often the only interruption that breaks 

 the stillness of these barren tracts. We have them 

 distributed over the world, 'though most abundant 

 in temperate regions. 



NUMENIUS. Generic characters. Bill very long, 

 slender, slightly compressed, curved, the tip, 

 nearly round, hard; the mandible project- 

 ing over the maxilla ; nostrils linear, lateral ; 

 face feathered; wings rather long, pointed; 

 spurious quill rigid; legs proportionally, of 

 middle length; tibise bare for some length 

 above the tarsal joint ; feet rather small ; 

 toes before connected by a basal membrane ; 

 hallux articulated above the plane of the 

 others. 



Types, N. arquata, longirostris, c. Cosmopolite. 

 . Maritime and gregarious in winter ; 

 breed inland ; are clamorous when their nest 

 is intruded upon. No seasonal change. 



