CURLEWS—SNIPES.— AVOSETS. _05 



wings, which are black, and the beak, and the feet, as well as 

 the naked portion of. the head and neck, which are also black, 

 This species is found throughout Africa. 



50. The Curlews,— Numenius, — have the beak arcuated like 

 that of the Ibis, but it is more slender and round throughout ; the 

 tip of the upper mandible extends beyond the end of the lower 

 one, and projects a little downwards in front of it. The toes are 

 palmated at base. They are met with on our own coasts. 



51. The Snipes properly so galled, — Scolopax, — have a 

 straight beak, a compressed head, with large eyes, placed far 

 back, and the feet are not palmated ; they are singularly stupid 

 in appearance, which is not contradicted by their habits. 



52. The Common Woodcock o[ Rnrope, — Scolopax rusticola, — 

 inhabits lofty mountains during the summer, and descends into 

 the woods about the middle of October ; it goes alone or in pairs, 

 particularly in bad weather, and seeks worms and insects in the 

 soil. 



53. [The A merica7i Woodcock, — Scolopax minor, — differs from 

 the European species, in the temperature of the climates selected 

 for its residence. It is met with, in summer, between the river 

 St. Lawrence and the limits of the Middle States, and in the 

 winter retires to, or beyond the boundary of the Union. It 

 revisits Pennsylvania early in March. The sensibility of the 

 end of the beak, as in the Snipe, is sufficiently acute to enable it 

 to collect its food by the sense of touch without using the eyes.] 



54. The Snipe, — Scolopax gallinago, — is smaller than the pre- 

 ceding ; it inhabits marshes, the banks of rivulets, &c. Two 

 other species are found in France, the Great Snipe, and Jack 

 Snipe. All these birds are excellent to eat. The American 

 species closely resemble those of Europe. 



55. The KYOSE,Ts,—~Recurvirostra, — are distinguished by their 

 long beak which is slender, elastic, and curved upwards, and by 

 their feet being palmate almost to the ends of their toes. There 

 is one species in Europe. [The American Jlvoset, — Recurvirostra 

 americana, — arrives on the coast of Cape May, in New Jersey, 

 late in April, and early in October retires with its young to 

 winter in the South.] 



50. How are the Curlews characterised ? 



51. Whit are the characters of Snipe properly so called? 



52. What are the habits of the European Woodcock? 



53. What are the habits of the American Woodcock ? 



54. What is the Snipe ? 



55. How are the Avosets distinguished ? 



