LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 245 



Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short. 

 Wings long, very acute, narrow, the first quill longest, the second a little 

 shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries of moderate length, 

 slightly incurved, narrowly rounded, some of the inner greatly elongated 

 and tapering. Tail short, much rounded, of twelve rounded feathers. 



Upper mandible of a rich deep brown in its whole extent, as is the 

 lower in its terminal half, its basal portion being flesh colour tinged with 

 brown. Iris hazel. Feet light greyish-blue ; claws dusky. The ground 

 colour of the plumage is light yellowish-red ; the head marked with ob- 

 long spots, the back with spots and bars of brownish-black. Alula and 

 outer webs of first four quills deep brown, the rest of the quills of the 

 general colour, barred on both webs with dark brown, as are the tail fea- 

 thers. Chin or upper part of throat white, as is the lower eyelid ; neck 

 marked with longitudinal lines of brownish-black ; sides barred with the 

 same, as are the lower larger wing-coverts ; the rest of the lower parts un- 

 spotted, the sides and under wing-coverts of a richer yellowish-red than 

 the rest. 



Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 25, to end of claws 

 29 ; extent of wings 40 ; wing from flexure 11 ^ ; tail 4j ; bill along the 

 back 8| ; along the edge of lower mandible 8 ; bare part of tibia 2 ; 

 tarsus 3/2 ; middle toe li|, its claw {^. Weight 1| lb. 



Adult Female. Plate CCXXXI. Fig. 2. 



The Female cannot be distinguished from the Male by external ap- 

 pearance. 



The biU varies in length from 7 to 9 inches. It has been remarked 

 that the tarsus of this species is scutellate anteriorly in its whole length, 

 whereas that of N. arquata is scutellate on its lower half only ; but this is 

 incorrect ; for both species have transverse series of small scales on the 

 upper third of the tarsus. 



