800 NUMENIUS 



NUMENIUS, Briss., 1760. 



1102. ESKIMO CURLEW. 

 NUMENIUS BOREALIS. 



Numenius borealis (Forster), Phil. Trans. Ixii. p. 411 (1772) ; Audub. 



B. Am. pi. 208 ; Newton, P.Z.S. 1871, pi. iv. fig. 1 (egg) ; Dresser, 



viii. p. 221, pi. 575 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxiv. p. 368 ; 



Kidgway, p. 171 ; Saunders, p. 631 ; Lilford, v. p. 137, pi. 59 ; 



Poynting, p. 253, pi. 54. 



ad. (N. America). Crown, nape, and upper parts umber-brown, 

 marked with dull isabelline, and in parts washed with pale rufous ; quills 

 dark earth-brown, the shafts white ; upper wing-coverts margined with 

 greyish brown ; tail dull rufous brown, barred with umber-brown ; sides 

 of face white striped with brown ; a dark line through and behind the 

 eye ; throat white ; rest of under parts pale rufous buff, the middle of the 

 abdomen nearly white ; breast with V-shaped brown markings ; flanks 

 rufous, similarly marked ; under wing-coverts and axillaries rich rufous 

 barred with blackish brown ; under tail coverts rufous buff, similarly 

 barred ; beak brownish black ; base of lower mandible yellowish flesh ; 

 legs greenish brown ; iris blackish brown. Culmen 2*4, wing 8*0, tail 3'4, 

 tarsus 1'8 inch. Female similar. 



Hob. North America, north to within the Arctic Circle, 

 migrating south in the winter through Central America to the 

 southern parts of South America ; of rare and accidental occur- 

 rence in Greenland and Britain. 



Frequents not only the sea coasts but is frequently to be met 

 with inland, and on migration and in winter is found in large 

 flocks. It feeds on insects and molluscs, and is also said to 

 be partial to crowberries. It breeds in the barren grounds in 

 Arctic North America, the nest being a mere hollow in the 

 ground lined with a few decayed leaves, and the eggs, which 

 are laid late in June or early in July, vary in ground-colour 

 from pale ashy green to ochreous drab, and deep olivaceous 

 drab, and the markings and blotches are of various shades of 

 sepia, usually more numerous at the larger end. In size they 

 measure about 2*0 by 1*45. 



1103. LITTLE WHIMBREL. 

 NUMENIUS MINUTUS. 



Numenius minutus, Gould, P.Z.S. 1840, p. 176 ; id. B. of Austral, vi. 

 pi. 44 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 458 ; Seebohm, B. Jap. 

 Emp. p. 317 ; (Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxiv. p. 371 ; Tacz. F. 0. 

 Sib. 0. p. 947 ; N. minor (nee. Leach), Dresser, viii. p. 245. 



