397 



NUMENIUS LONGIROSTRIS (Wilson). 



THE LONG BILLED CURLEW. 



Specific Character. — The largest American species of this genus. Bill very 

 long, much curved, upper mandible longer than the under, somewhat knobbed at 

 the tip ; wing, rather long ; legs, moderate ; toes united at the base. Entire upper 

 parts pale rufous tinged with ashy, every feather with transverse and confluent 

 bands of brownish black, most numerous and predominating on the back and scap- 

 ulars ; secondary quills, under wing coverts and axillaries, bright rufous ; primaries 

 with their outer webs, brownish black ; and their inner webs, rufous ; with trans- 

 verse bands of black ; under parts, pale rufous ; with longitudinal lines of black on 

 the neck and sides ; tail, rufous, tinged with ashy ; transversely barred with brown- 

 ish black. Specimens vary to some extent in the shade of the rufous colour of the 

 plumage, and very much in the length of the bill. The rufous colour is probably 

 more distinct in the young. 



Total length about 25.00 inches ; extent about 40.00 ; wing, 10.00 ; tail, 4.00 ; 

 bill, 2.30 to 8.50 ; tarsus, 2.25. Bill, black ; becominsf dull light lilac brown on 

 basal half of mandible ; iris, brown ; legs and feet, gray. 



Habitat. — Temperate North America, migrating south to Guatemala and the 

 West Indies. Breeds in the south Atlantic States, and is probably generally dis- 

 tributed over North America, from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada on the north ; 

 and we often, in the fall and spring, see large flocks of them in Ontario. We have 

 no record of their breeding in Ontario. Prof. Macoun speaks of it as rare in the 

 North-West. The Long-billed Curlew feeds upon crickets and other insects, and 

 . is considered a good table bird. 



f 



