288 



KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 



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

 rocky places. It breeds nearly throughout its range, the eggs being buff 

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



Genus NUMENIUS Brisson. 



A. 



Niiiueiiius Inngirostris; 



NUHENIUS LONQIROSTRIS /FA. 

 Long=biJIed Curlew. Sickle=bill. 



Adult in summer: Upper parts marked with buff and black ; tail featliers alternately 

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

 becoming very light on the belly : breast narrowly striped with brown on the middle of the 

 feathers; bill very long. 



Adult ill ivinter: 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 l^rown ; feathers on the lower throat and upper breast finely hned with dark brown ; liill 

 very long and curved downward ; bill Islack, becoming dull lilac brown on basal half of tlie 

 mandible. 



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



The immature of this species lias the 1)111 nearly straight Init 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 x\tl antic coast, and is becoming less so every year. The 

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



