11-4 BIKDS OF BRITISH GUIAICA. 



E.rtraUmital Banae. Western coast of South America to Chile. 

 Tlie whole of North America. 



Habits. Schorabnrgk states (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 151 ) that he 

 found this bird common on the massel-banks in the mouth of the 

 River AVaini. 



We quote the following notes from Mr. J. J. Quf^lch (Tiinehri 

 (2) X. p. 275) : — "The Jack Curlew or American Whimbrel (A'm- 

 menius hudsonicus). This species is one of the commonest of our 

 migrants, being found plentifully during the winter months along 

 the mudflats and sandv banks of the coast, as well as on the 

 shores of the alluvial islands and along the estuaries of the rivers. 

 At all times of the day, but more especially in the earlj' morning 

 and late evening, they will be found feeding on the small fish, 

 Crustacea, worms, etc., which occur so plentifully on ihe flats. At 

 such times they are by no m^ans shy, and can be shot with but 



little difficulty It is known to breed in the extreme north 



of North America, and extends its southward range over the whole 

 of South America. It has even once been recorded from Spain." 



70. Zs'umenius borealis. 



EsQUiMO Whimbrel. 



Xumeniiig borealis (Forrt.), Phil. Trans. Ixii. p. 431, 1772 (^"Habitat in 

 sinu Had«!onL*'j ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mil«. xxiv. p. 3G8, 1896; 

 Braboume & Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 4*), no. .391, 1912. 



Adult female. General colour of the upper surface dark brown 

 including the head, back, and wings everywhere spotted, barre<J, 

 .streaked, or margined with buffS-white or sandy buff: tail dark 

 brown regularly banded with paler brown ; bastard-wing and 

 primary-coverts narrowly edged with white at the tips ; quills 

 dark Vjrown, paler on the inner webs : crown of head like the back 

 with a few white feathers interspersed ; throat white ; lores and 

 snperciliaries white with minute dark centres to the feathers; under 

 surface including the sides of the body creamy-white with dark 

 markings on the feathers, in the form of bars or .sagittate shalt- 

 lines ; axillaries and under wing-coverts rufescent marked with 

 pale brown. '* Bill brownish black ; lower mandible flesh-colour 

 at the base ; feet greyish blue, claws black; iris dark brown.*' 



Total length .330 mm., culmen 62, wing 20.!>, tail 80, tarsus 44. 



Adidt male. Similar to the adult female, but the bill rather 

 shorter. Culmen 'jo mm. 



