CHAPTER XYII. 



LONG-BILLED CURLEW, OR SICKLE-BILL. NUMENIUS 

 LONGIROSTRIS. 



HABITS AND DESCRIPTION. 



This variety of Curlew is larger than the preceding species, 

 but not perhaps as nunaerous ; it is a beautiful and noble-look- 

 ing Bird. The habits of the Sickle-Bill are much the same as 

 those of the Short-Billed ; they frequent the salt marshes and 

 sea-shore about the same time as the other Bird, and we are 

 surprised to learn from Mr. Giraud's work, that numbers of 

 them remain on Folly Island, near Charleston, during the sea- 

 son of nidification, for the purposes of procreation. 



"The Long-Billed Curlew is twenty -five inches in length, 

 and three feet three inches in extent; and when in good order, 

 weighs about thirty ounces; but individuals differ greatly in 

 this respect. The bill is eight inches long, nearly straight for 

 half its length, thence curving considerably downwards to its 

 extremity, where it ends in an obtuse knob that overhangs the 



