318 NUMENIUS. 



them; but though it is a remarkable fact that the back of the tarsus of the former is 

 distinctly scutellated, whilst that of the latter is as clearly reticulated, the fact is not an 

 isolated one. The case is almost an exact parallel to that of Totanus incanus and T. brevipes ; 

 and it is worthy of note that in both cases the New-World species is the one which has 

 what is generally regarded as the older form of tarsus (i. e. reticulated instead of scutellated), 

 but in the Curlew this character is normal, whilst in the Sandpiper it is exceptional. 



Synonymy of the Genus Numenius. 



Type. 

 Numenius, Brisson, Orn. v. p. 311 (1760) N. arquatus. 



CwTcWrms, Rafinesque, Anal, de la Nature, -p. 7\ {\^\^) ?N. phseopus. 



Phseopus, Cuvier, Eigne An. i. p. 485 (1817) N. pheeopus. 



Cractiornis, Gray, List Gen. and Subg. Birds, p. 88 (1841) N. arquatus. 



Deterraina- The Curlews were placed by Linneus in the genus Scolopax on the ground of their 



tion of the haviug wcU-developed hind toes consisting of more than one joint. The Common Curlew 



{Numenius arquatus), being the 'Numenius numenius of Brisson, must be regarded as the 



type of the genus. 



Climatic 

 distribution. 



Curlews. 



N. ARQUATUS . . 

 N. TENUIKOSTRIS . 

 N. LINEATUS 

 N. CYANOPUS- 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



(during the breeding-season) . 



PaLjEarctic Region. 



J 



N. LONGIROSTRIS . 



West. 

 South-west. 



East. 



Nearctic Region. 



East to West. 



West. 



Whimbrels. 

 N. phjeopus. 



N. VARIEGATUS. 

 N. MTNUTUS. 



■{ 



N. HUDSONICUS. 

 N. BOREALIS. 

 N. TAHITIENSIS. 



The genus Numenius is decidedly Arctic in its character. It contains 11 species and 

 subspecies, which are distributed as follows : — 



Arctic America 3 



Arctic Eurasia 4 



Arctic species 7 



Temperate N. America 1 



Temperate Eurasia 3 



Temperate species — 4 



Species and subspecies of iVW^mM* . . — n 



