48 ESQUIMAUX CURLEW. 



EsauiMAox Curlew, Numenius borealis. Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 101. 



Esquimaux Curlew, Numenius borealis, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 69; vol. v. p. 590. 



Male, 14$, 27|. 



Passes in spring from Texas along the coast eastward to the Fur Coun- 

 tries, returning in autumn. Abundant at times in the Middle Atlantic Dis- 

 tricts. Rarely seen in the interior. Breeds in the northern barren grounds. 



Adult Male. 



Bill much longer than the head, very slender, sub-cylindrical, compressed, 

 slightly arched. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the 

 sides, excepting at the base, nearly perpendicular, and marked with a narrow 

 groove extending more than two-thirds of its length, edges rather obtuse. 

 Nostrils basal, lateral, longitudinal, elliptical. Lower mandible with the 

 dorsal line arched, the angle extremely narrow and extended to near the end, 

 the sides convex, the edges rather obtuse, the tips obtuse, that of the upper 

 mandible longer. 



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

 slender. Feet of moderate length, slender. Toes small; first very small, 

 second and fourth about equal, third considerably longer. Claws small, com- 

 pressed, blunt, that of middle toe much longer, curved outwards, with a sharp 

 dilated inner edge. 



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

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

 shorter, the rest regularly and rapidly graduated; secondaries short, incurv- 

 ed, rounded, excepting some of the inner, which are greatly elongated and 

 tapering. Tail short, nearly even, of twelve rounded feathers. 



Bill brownish-black, the lower mandible flesh-coloured at the base. Iris 

 dark brown. Feet greyish-blue, claws black. The upper part of the head is 

 brownish-black, streaked with pale yellowish-brown, and having an indistinct 

 central line of the latter. The back is also brownish-black, marked with 

 numerous spots of light brownish-yellow, there being several along the mar- 

 gin of each feather. Wing-coverts and secondaries of a lighter brown, simi- 

 larly spotted; alula, primary coverts and quills unspotted, the shafts of most 

 of the latter pale brown, but of the outer white. Tail pale greyish-brown, 

 with light deep brown bars, and tipped with brownish-white. Sides of the 

 head, and the neck all round, pale yellowish-brown, striped with dark brown; 

 breast and sides of the same tint, with longitudinal and transverse dark mark- 

 ings. Lower wing-coverts and lower tail-coverts similarly barred; axillar 

 feathers regularly banded, and of a deeper tint. Abdomen without markings. 

 Throat and a line over the eye nearly white. 



Length to end of tail 14$, to end of wings 14^, to end of claws 16|; wing 



