THE SICKLE-BILLED CURLEW 217 
The male and female are marked alike. Top 
of the head indistinctly streaked with black, 
reddish and whitish; same colors on hind neck 
and here more distinct. Above, brownish black, 
spotted with tawny yellow and reddish brown 
scalloped on the edges of the feathers; wing co- 
verts with reddish tones predominant. Pri- 
maries dusky, mottled with red-brown. Sec- 
ondaries and tail feathers reddish brown with 
regular barrings of black. Below, light reddish 
brown, darkest on breast and under wing cov- 
erts, paler on the throat, in fact, here nearly 
white. Lower throat and breast streaked with 
blackish, the markings growing larger and 
darker on the sides of breast and body, in these 
places becoming well defined arrow heads and 
bars of black. Lining of wings and crissum un- 
spotted. Legs grayish brown; the toes short 
and stout, flattened beneath, and widely mar- 
gined on the edges. Length very variable; 
from twenty-four inches upward, according to 
the age of the bird and consequent development 
of the bill. Extent from thirty-eight to forty 
inches. 
The Sickle-bill is a fine bird, in quality of flesh 
equal to any of the smaller waders and superior 
to most, ranking high as a table delicacy. 
