800 Birds of Celebes: Charadriidae. 



bill 140 — 203 [Seeb.]), and by its head above being jiale striated brown (not blackish 

 brown with a single pale streak along the middle). 

 Distribution. East Siberia (Dybowski, etc. b 3); Mongolia (David b 3); Kurile Is. (Steller 

 4); Japan (Pryer 4); Loochoo Is. (Cassin 4)\ China (David, Swinhoe a 7, b 3); 

 Formosa (Swinhoe a 7); India (Jerdon, etc. a .3); Ceylon (Legge, etc. a 3); Lacca- 

 dives, Andamans and Nicobars (Hume, etc. a 3, a 7); Burmah (Gates, etc. a 3); Tenas- 

 serim (Davison 5); Cochin China (f. Gates 5); Malay Peninsula (f. Gates 5); Suma- 

 tra, Java (f. Salvad. a 7); S. Borneo (Croockewit a 4); Palawan (Whitehd. a 4, a 6); 

 Negros (Steere a 5); Hahnahera (Leyden Mus. f. Schl. a 7); ? Celebes (Rosenb. 2], 



In the East the Curlew differs from the typical form of Europe, Africa, 

 and Western Asia, according to Seeb ohm by having the lower back ordinarily 

 white (not streaked with brown) , the axillaries white (not spotted with brown), 

 the margins of the scapulars and feathers on the upper back nearly white (as 

 against grey in the western form) and the bill S'/j to 8 inches (as against 4V2 

 to 7 inches), but he adds that "none of these characters are constant and inter- 

 mediate forms are very common". It is interesting to observe that in this case 

 it is the eastern form in which the lower back and axillaries are white, whereas 

 in the Whimbrel this effect is produced in the western form, as also in the 

 Bar-tailed Godwit. There is, however, some difference in their ranges, the 

 Eastern Curlew being a more continental bird than N. variegatus, and it does 

 not visit such high northern latitudes to breed. Its nest and breeding habits in 

 Dauria are described by Godlewski, and its egg by Taczanowski (h 3). 



Dr. Sharpe does not consider the eastern form separable from the western, 

 and this judgment we have accepted. 



This species is included with a query among the birds of Celebes in virtue 

 of its name being found in von Rosenberg's list (2), which is unfortunately 

 not to be relied upon without further proof. Prof. W. Blasius (Z. ges. Orn. 

 1886, 199) expresses the opinion that it was the next species, N. cyanopus Vieill., 

 which the traveller met with; it is, however, at least as probable that Rosenberg 

 was right in his determination of the bird, as the eastern form of N. arquata 

 (N. lineata) is almost certain to occur in Celebes occasionally, if not regularly, 

 in winter. One example has been recorded from Halmahera. Up to 1889 

 Dr. Croockewit alone had met with it in Borneo to Mr. Everett's know- 

 ledge; it was not known to Lord Tweeddale from the Philippines, but Mr. 

 Whitehead (a 6) saw a few, and Dr. Steere records it from Neg-ros. It seems 

 to be a somewhat rare visitor to the Archipelago. 



From N. variegatus its differences have been pointed out, supra; from 

 N. cyanopus it may be distinguished by its white lower back and white axillaries. 



^ 342. NUMENIUS CYANOPUS Vieill. 

 Brown-rumped Curlew. 



Numenius cyanopus (1) Vieill., Nouv. Diet. VDI, 306 (1817); (2) Gould, Hb. B. Austr. 

 1865, n, 277; (3) Rams., P. Z. S. 1877, 339; (4) Salvad., Gm. Pap. 1882, HI, 



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