NUMENIUS. 77 



having a narrow medial groove, not occupied by the tongue, 

 which is short, sagittate, narrow, tapering, grooved above, 

 acute ; oesophagus very long, and rather narrow ; proventri- 

 culus oblong ; stomach a large and powerful gizzard, having 

 the muscles distinct, the tendons radiated, and the inner coat 

 rugous ; intestine long, of moderate width ; cceca rather slen- 

 der, cylindrical, shortish ; cloaca globular. Nostrils linear, 

 pervious, basal. Eyes rather small, eyelids feathered. Aper- 

 ture of ear moderate, roundish. Legs long and slender ; 

 tibia bare below, reticulated ; tarsus long, reticulated, but 

 having for two-thirds of its length anteriorly a series of short 

 scutella ; toes rather short, slender, with numerous scutella, 

 broad and flat beneath, the anterior webbed to the second 

 joint, the hind toe very small ; claws small, slightly arched, 

 compressed, obtuse. Plumage moderately full, soft, blended ; 

 the feathers oblong or lanceolate ; wings very long, narrow, 

 pointed, with about thirty quills ; first primary longest, the 

 rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries slightly incurved, some 

 of the inner much elongated and tapering ; tail rather short, 

 rounded, of twelve acuminate feathers, the two medial con- 

 siderably longer. 



The Curlews are closely allied to the Tringae and Limosae, 

 and in some respects, especially the form of the bill, to the 

 Ibises. They are generally distributed, of migratory habits, 

 frequent the shores in winter and spring, breed in waste 

 and marshy ground, laying four pyriform, spotted eggs. 

 They are suspicious, easily alarmed, run with great celerity, 

 have a light and rapid flight, and feed on insects, larvae, 

 mollusca, and Crustacea. Both sexes are alike, and the sum- 

 mer plumage does not differ from that of winter. Their 

 flesh is excellent. Two species occur in Britain. 



188. NUMENIUS ARQUATA. GREAT CURLEW. 



Length from twenty-one to twenty-six inches ; bill from 

 five to seven inches ; plumage of the head, neck, and fore 

 part of the back, light reddish-grey, streaked with blackish- 

 brown ; the hind part of the back white, with narrow, longi- 

 tudinal dark marks ; the tail white, with twelve black bars ; 

 the breast, sides, and abdomen white, with lanceolate black 

 spots and bars. 



