245 



10241. N. tenuirostris is a distinct and good species, though approaching near to N. phceopus. When treating 

 of this species we stated that a good character it possesses is the white axillaries ; but, as will be seen in 

 the article on N. phceopus, I have examined examples of this latter species from Eastern Africa which 

 had nearly pure white axillaries. 



10242. N. cyanopus, Vieill. (australis et rufescens, Gould ; tahitiensis, Swinh. nee Gmel.), is distinguishable 

 by its rufous grey strongly barred rump and upper tail-coverts. It occurs in Asia, from the coast of 

 Kamtchatka down to Australia and Tasmania, and, according to Brisson and Gmelin, is also found in 

 Madagascar and the Society Islands. In a foot-note in the ' Fauna Japonica/ Schlegel refers to Gould's 

 plate of this species, and identifies it with his own N. major. 



10243. N. rufescens, Gould, is N. cyanopus in summer plumage. 



10244. N. madagascariensis and 



10245. N. cassini, Swinh., are both N. arquatus. 



10246. N. tahitiensis, Gm. (N.femoralis, Peale), is a very distinct and good species. Thanks to Mr. J. E. 

 Harting, I have had an opportunity of examining an excellent water-colour drawing he has of this 

 bird. It somewhat resembles the Whimbrel, but is smaller, and has the underparts ochreous yellow, the 

 axillaries rufous buff, barred with dark brown, paler than in N. hudsonicus, the upper parts much more 

 ruddy than in N. phceopus, and the bill much stouter than in that species ; besides, Mr. Harting informs 

 me, the base of the mandible appears to be yellow in the living bird. This is the bird referred to and 

 figured (pi. 3) by Cassin in Commod. Perry's Exp. Japan, ii. p. 228, and described by Forster (Descr. ed. 

 Lichtenst. p. 242), from Otaheite, under the name of Scolopax phceopus. 



10247. N. longirostris, Wils. {melanopus et rufus, Vieill.), together with the next species, may always be 

 distinguished from the Old-World Curlew by its rufous axillaries. It inhabits temperate America, 

 occurring southward as far down as Brazil. I found it very numerous in Texas and Mexico during the 

 autumn migration, and was astonished to see how much the size of the bill varied in the numerous 

 specimens I killed. 



10248. N. hudsonicus, Lath, (borealis, Gm. nee Forst. ; intermedins, Nuttall), is the Nearctic representative 

 of our Whimbrel, from which, however, it may easily be distinguished by its axillaries, which are rufous 

 where in the Whimbrel they are white. It is found in Northern America during the breeding-season, 

 and straggles down as far south as Chili during the seasons of migration. 



10249. N. phceopus, L., is probably the most widely distributed of the whole family. In the last part of the 

 present work I have treated fully of this species, and refer to that article for particulars. 



10250. N. melanorhynchus, Bp., from Greenland, 



10251. N. hcesitatus, Hartl., from St. Thomas, 



10252. N. luzoniensis, Gm., from the Philippines, and 



10253. N. uropygialis, Gould, from Australia, are all referable to N. phceopus. 



10254. N. minor, Miiller {minutus, Gould, hemirhynchus , Temm. et Schl.), is closely allied to the next species, 

 but is distinguishable by its much smaller size, paler and more yellowish underparts and axillaries, and 

 shorter and more slender bill ; and the legs appear, from the dried specimens I have examined, to have 

 been flesh-coloured when the bird was living, and not plumbeous as in Numenius borealis. This 

 diminutive Curlew is found in Siberia, Japan, China, and, according to Gould, in the Moluccas and 

 Australia. I have examined several specimens collected by Dr. Dybowski in Dauria, where it appears 

 to be by no means rare. 



10255. N. borealis (Forst.) is found throughout America during the breeding-season in the high north, and 

 in the winter as far south as Montevideo and Buenos Ayres ; I met with it in Texas in the spring. It 

 has ocCTirred in Greenland and Great Britain. 



' 0256. N. microrhynchus, Phil. & Landb., is referable to N. borealis. 

 10257. N.femoralis, Peale, is N. tahitienis, Gm. 



