I 



310 



PR.ECOCIAL GRALLATOUES — LLMICOL.K. 



Tho Spooii-l)ill(>(l .Siin(l])i]H'r is said to frequent tlie mud-Hats at the mouths of 

 rivers and tiie sands of tlie sea-shore, wliere, in company with various species ol 

 Trhigcr, it procures from tlie surface of the water an :d)undant harvest of such food 

 as is always h'ft by a receding tide. Of its niditicatiou nothing is as yet known. 



Gkms NUMENIUS, IJmssoN. 



Numrnixm, Bniss. Orn. V. 1700, 311 (typo, Scohpax arquata, LiNS.). 



Char. Lrf,'s cnvorod anlcriorly with Iraiisvursi.' stutulliu, liiteraliy iiiul bi'liiml with f^iiiall Iic.\ii'4- 

 onnl scales. 15111 Vfry loii^s uxceiMliiij,' the tihia, and curved downward for tlie terminal hall ; 

 the culnieu rounded. Tip of bill expanded laterally and clul)-shai)ed. Grooves of bill not reaching,' 

 beyond the iniiMle. Tertials as lonj,' as primaries. 



Bill variable in lenj^th, always lon;,'er than tarsus, sometimes exceeding tarsus and toes. It is 

 nearly straight iit the ba.se, then decurving quite rapidly to the tip, where the upper manilil)le is 

 thickened downward beyond and over the lower. Lateral grooves occupying only the basal h.ill' 

 or third of the bill ; under mandible not grooved beneath. Cleft of mouth extending but little 



|i 



N. longirostria, 



beyond the base of oulmen. Feathers of head extending about the same distance on both man- 

 dibles ; those of chin to opposite the anterior extrennty of the nostrils. Tarsi nearly twice as long 

 as middle toe, rather more than twice the bare part of tibia ; covered behind by hexagonal scales 

 larger than the lateral ones. Outer toe webbed for its basal Joint ; iniier for half this distance 

 Tail short, nearly even, not quite half the wings. Tertials as long as the primaries. 



Of the genus A'innoinw several spei'ies are found in North America, none of them occurring 

 regularly in the Old World, as is the case with so many of the Tringcm. 



American Species. 

 At Thighs not bristled. 



a. Rump tint white. 



1. N. longirostria. Wing, 10.00-12.00 ; culmen, 3.80-8.50 ; tarsus, 2.2.5-3.60 ; ndddle toe, 



1.30-1.5.5. Lower parts pale cinnamon ; axillars deep cinnamon, without distinct bars ; 



crown uniforndy streaked, without median stripe. Hab. Temperate North America, 



south to Guatemala, Cuba, Jamaica, and Brazil (?). 



