SHORE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



67 



GENUS NUMENIUS BRISSON. 



NUHENIUS LONGIROSTRIS Wils. 



Long-billed Curlew. Sickle Bill. 



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

 bancled with tawny buft' 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; axillars, rufous brown. 



T/J. 



Long-billed Curlew. 



Esquimaux Curlew. 



Hudsonian Curlew. 



A<liilt in winter: General plumage, tawny brown; the back, blackish, mottled with butt'; 

 top of the head, dark brown; the feathers, edged with tawny; throat, white; under parts, 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; axillars, rufous brown. 



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 

 exceeding two inches in length. 



