46'0 Red-billed Erolia. [Aug. 



and had I not adverted to the generic character of the Curlew as 

 stated in Shaw's Zoology, I should have conceived that the bill of 

 our bird could not be more accurately characterised than by simply 

 likening it to the Curlew's. Shaw, however, says, the Curlew's 

 bill is long in the superlative degree, has its tip dilated, and the nos- 

 trils placed in a short groove. 



Now I have only to say that of my three species, that emphatically 

 called the long-billed is alone remarkable (considering what family these 

 birds belong to) for length of bill ; that all three have bills, which, 

 without being quite so thick at the base as the Ibis' beak, have yet 

 some thickness there, which grows gradually and uniformly less to- 

 wards their tips ; that their tips are scarce sensibly dilated ; that their 

 nostrils are placed in a groove which runs fully |-ths of the length of 

 the bill, although it is only towards the base or around the opening 

 of the nostrils, that the sulcation is broad or membranous ; and that 

 lastly, all these peculiarities, which to my apprehension belong to the 

 bill of the Curlew, belong likewise to that of the Erolia. 



But for the decidedly Charadriadic character of its feet, not only 

 its long slender bill, but its general appearance, figure, and manners 

 would dispose us to range the Erolia with the family comprising 

 the Curlew, Godwit, and Avocet ; aud indeed, embracing almost all 

 the long feeble-billed Waders. 



Few genera of the grallatorial order have legs so short or thighs 

 so little naked as those of the Erolia : and in respect to the brevity 

 of its toes and nails, still fewer even of the Charadriadic family of the 

 order, and none I believe of the Scolopaceous family, match it. Its 

 wings and tail have no peculiarity, and both are proportioned pretty 

 much as in the Curlews, Avocets, and Godwits. The new species 

 now before me (and which I propose should be called the red-billed) 

 measures nearly one foot five inches from tip of bill to tip of tail, 

 being in fact about the size and weight of the common Avocet. The 

 particulars of its size, proportions, and weight are given in the sequel; 

 meanwhile, I proceed to the description of its plumage. The whole 

 of the head above and below, as far as the eyes, hind part likewise of 

 the crown of the head, the chin and the throat, black, mixed with 

 grey about the base of the bill ; and the whole black space margined 

 towards the body with white : rest of the body above, including the 

 back parts of the head, the neck, wings, and tail, full ashy blue : great 

 quills and false wing, dusky blue, and a large irregular bar of white 

 across the wings : upper tail coverts, black, with an ashy powder : 

 tail feathers, cross-barred with dusky, in the manner of the Curlews ; 

 and all the feathers, save the two centrals, largely tipped with black ; 



