THE LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 39 



Male, 26, 40. 



Resident, and breeds in Texas and on the islands off South Carolina. 

 Stragglers go far north. Columbia river. Occasionally seen in the interior. 



Adult Male. 



Bill excessively elongated, being more than four times the length of head, 

 very slender, sub-cylindrical, slightly compressed, nearly straight to the 

 middle, beyond which it is slightly curved. Upper mandible with the ridge 

 broad and flat at the base, broad and rounded in the rest of its extent, a deep 

 groove running from the nostrils to near the tip, which is decurved, enlarged 

 so as to form an oblong obtuse knob, projecting beyond the point of the lower 

 mandible, the edges rounded, the inner surface with a deep narrow groove. 

 Nostrils basal, lateral, longitudinal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible simi- 

 lar in its curvature to the upper, its angle extremely narrow, and extending 

 to near the middle, the ridge rounded, the sides with a shallow groove to 

 near the end, the edges directly meeting those of the upper mandible, the tip 

 obtuse. 



Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck long and slender. Body 

 rather slender. Feet long and rather stout. Toes rather small, scutellate 

 above; first very small, second and fourth about equal, third considerably 

 longer, flat beneath and broadly marginate, the three anterior connected by 

 short webs, of which the outer is much larger. Bare part of tibia covered 

 with transverse series of angular scales, as is the upper part of the tarsus, its 

 lower two-thirds with scutella in front. Claws small, compressed, blunt, 

 that of middle toe largest, curved outwards, with a sharp dilated inner edge. 



Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short. Wings 

 long, very acute, narrow, the first quill longest, the second a little shorter, 

 the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries of moderate length, slightly incurved, 

 narrowly rounded, some of the inner greatly elongated and tapering. Tail 

 short, much rounded, of twelve rounded feathers. 



Upper mandible of a rich deep brown in its whole extent, as is the lower 

 in its terminal half, its basal portion being flesh-colour, tinged with brown. 

 Iris hazel. Feet light greyish-blue; claws dusky. The ground colour of the 

 plumage is light yellowish-red; the head marked with oblong spots, the back 

 with spots and bars of brownish-black. Alula and outer webs of first 

 four quills deep brown, the rest of the quills of the general colour, barred 

 on both webs with dark brown, as are the tail feathers. Chin or upper part 

 of throat white, as is the lower eyelid; neck marked with longitudinal lines 

 of brownish-black; sides barred with the same, as are the lower larger wing- 

 coverts; the rest of the lower parts unspotted, the sides and under wing- 

 coverts of a richer yellowish-red than the rest. 



Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 25, to end of claws 29; 



