NUMENIUS. 93 



Genus NUMENIUS. 



The Curlews were associated by Linnaeus with the Godwits and Snipes 

 in his genus Scolopax ; but in 1790 Latham adopted the genus Numenius, 

 which Brisson had established in 1760 in his ' Ornithologia/ v. p. 311. 

 The Common Curlew, N. arquatus (being the Numenius numenius of 

 Brisson), is the type. 



The Curlews have scutellated plates on the front of the tarsus for 

 at least its lower half, but the back of the tarsus is covered with small 

 hexagonal reticulations, the latter character serving to distinguish them 

 from the Sandpipers and Snipes, some of which have a somewhat similar 

 bill. The hind toe is small, and the bill is generally very long and always 

 decurved. 



The winter plumage of the Curlews scarcely differs in colour from that 

 of summer. Like most large birds, they secure themselves from danger 

 on the mud-flats by their great wariness, instead of by the assumption of 

 protective colours. 



The genus Numenius is cosmopolitan, but the species are restricted 

 during the breeding-season to the Palaearctic and Nearctic Regions. It 

 contains about a dozen species, three of which breed in Europe. Only two 

 of these are British, but a third has visited our islands from America. 



The Curlews chiefly frequent moors, inland marshes, and uplands during 

 the breeding-season, resorting to the coasts principally during winter or 

 whilst on their migrations. They are very shy and wary, and take wing at 

 the least alarm, flying powerfully and rapidly. During winter they are 

 more or less gregarious, but in spring they disperse in pairs to their 

 breeding-grounds. Upon the ground they walk and run like the other 

 birds in this family. Their notes are loud, clear, wild, and impressive. 

 Their food consists of worms, insects, small mollusks, &c. They make a 

 slight nest on the ground ; and their eggs (four in number and somewhat 

 pyriform in shape) are olive-green, spotted with brown and grey. 



