270 THE CURLEW SANDPIPER. 



Bill longer than the head, slender, subcylindrical, flexible, very slightly 

 decurved, compressed at the base, the point obtuse. Upper mandible with 

 the dorsal line at first slightly sloping, then nearly straight, and towards the 

 end slightly decurved, the ridge convex but narrow, the sides sloping, the 

 edges rather blunt and soft. Nasal groove extending to near the tip; nostrils 

 basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and very nar- 

 row, the dorsal line straight, the sides nearly erect, with a long narrow 

 groove, the tip tapering but rounded. 



Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. 

 Neck of moderate length, rather slender. Body rather slender. Feet ra- 

 ther long, slender; tibia bare about a third of its length; tarsus compressed, 

 anteriorly and posteriorly covered with numerous scutella; hind toe very 

 small; the rest of moderate length, slender, the fourth a little longer than the 

 second, the third longest, all free, scutellate above, flat beneath, slightly mar- 

 ginate; claws small, slightly arched, compressed, acute, that of third toe 

 largest, with the inner edge slightly dilated. 



Plumage very soft, blended beneath, slightly distinct above. Wings long 

 and pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest, the second scarcely 

 shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; outer secondaries short, incurved, ob- 

 liquely truncate, the inner web extending beyond the outer; the inner secon- 

 daries elongated, tapering. Tail rather short, slightly rounded, of twelve 

 rounded feathers, the two middle a little longer. 



Bill dark olive-green, dusky towards the point. Iris hazel. Feet light 

 olive, claws dusky. The head, neck and breast are bright yellowish-red, 

 the sides whitish, the lower tail-coverts white, with a brownish-black spot 

 towards the end. The central parts of the feathers on the upper part of the 

 head are dark brown, and there are slight streaks of the same on the hind 

 neck and sides of the breast. The upper parts are mottled with brownish- 

 black and dull red, the rump pale brownish-grey, as are the smaller wing- 

 coverts. Quills greyish-brown, the primaries dark, the outer secondaries 

 light and tipped with white, the inner darker and glossed with green. Up- 

 per tail-coverts white, spotted with brown and red; tail pale brownish-grey, 

 glossed with green. 



Length to end of tail Sf inches, to end of wings 9 T V, extent of wings 16; 

 wing from flexure 5; tail 2^; bill along the back 1^, along the edge of lower 

 mandible l/^; bare parts of tibia ^; tarsus ly 1 ^, middle toe 1, its claw -£j. 

 Weight 2i oz. 



Adult Female. 



The bill, iris, and feet as in the adult. On the upper parts the feathers are 

 brown, edged with darker, and margined with greyish-yellow; the lore, 

 cheeks and sides of the neck and body are greyish-yellow, with dusky lines; 



