342 BIF.DS. 



extends beyond the end of tlie lower one, and projects a little downwards 



in front of it. The toes are palmated at their base. 



Scol.arcuata,!..; Enl. 818; Frisch, 224; Naum. 5, f. 5. (The 

 Curlew of Europe). Is the size of a Capon; brown; the edges of 

 all the feathers whitish ; rump white ; tail striped with white and 

 brown. It is eaten as game, of a tolerably good taste. Common 

 along the coast of Europe, and in transitu in the interior. Its name 

 is derived from its cry*. 



Scol. Phceopus, L.; Petit CourUs ; Enl. 142; Edw. 307; Frisch, 

 225; Naum. 10, f. lOf. (The Whimbrel). Half the si^e of the 

 preceding, but has nearly the same plumage j;. 



ScoLOPAXJl, Cuv. 



The Woodcocks, or Snipes, have a straight bill, the nasal furrows ex- 

 tending to near its point, which is a little inflated externally, to reach be- 

 yond the lower mandible, and on the middle of which there is a simple 

 groove; this point is soft and very sensible, and when dried, after death, 

 assumes a punctured appearance. Their feet are not palmated. A pe- 

 culiar character of these birds consists in their compressed head, and 

 large eyes placed very far back, which gives them a singularly stupid air, 

 an indication which they do not contradict by their habits. 



Scol rusticola,L.; La Becasse; Enl. 885 ; Frisch, 126, 227; 

 Naum. Ed. I, I, f. 1. (The Woodcock). The well-known plumage 

 of this bird is variegated above with grey, red, and black spots and 

 bands; grey beneath, with transverse blackish lines. Its distin- 

 guishing character consists of four broad, transverse, black bands; 

 which succeed each other on the back part of the head. During 

 the summer it inhabits lofty mountains, and descends into the Avoods 

 in the month of October. It lives either singly or in pairs, particu- 

 larly in bad weather, and feeds on worms and insects. Few of them 

 remain on the plains during summer §. 



Scol. galUnaijo, L. ; La Becassine, Enl. 883; Frisch, 229, 

 Naum. 3, f. 3. (The Common Snipe). Smaller than the preceding, 

 but with a longer bill ; is distinguished by two broad, longitudinal 

 black bands on the head, by the neck spotted with brown and fawn- 

 colour, by a blackish mantle with two longitudinal fawn-coloured 

 bands, by its brown wings watered with grey, by a whitish belly, the 



* Add the CourUs a mrches etrnites of the Cape {Xtim. virgalus, C), Enl. 198; — 

 the C. a m. it. of India {N. iinea/ux); Le C. « long bee d'Amerique; — the Num. longi- 

 rostri.i, Wils. of America, Am. Orn. II, xxiv, 4; — Ni/m. borealis, Id. vii, Ivi, 1. 



i Phaopus (ash-coloured foot), a name composed by Gesner. 



X Add the Num. tenuirostris, Ch. Bonap. ; — ihc Num. rufus, Vieill. Gal. 245; — the 

 Cniirlis demi-bec (Nu7n. brenirostri.i, T. ), Col. 381. 



N. B. In this genus, and almost in the whole of this family, the bill becomes 

 lengthened by age. 



II Scol' pax, the Greek name of the Woodcock, from scolops, stake, on account of 

 its straight and pointed bill. Vieillot has changed it into Rusticola. 



§ Add a closely allied species of North America (Seal, minor, Gm.), Arct. Zool. 

 IT. pi. xix; Vieill. Gal. 242; Wils. VI, xlviii, 2;— Scol. sabini, Vig., Lin. Trans. 

 XIV, pi. xxi, if a true species. 



