ESQUIMAUX CURLEW. 503 
posed of birds belonging to the natural family Scolopacide. 
Under all circumstances, the union of Nwmenius with Scolopax 
was far more natural than that with Zantalide ; and although 
we make use of the name given by Brisson, the credit of 
establishing it in its present acceptation is due to Latham, or 
perhaps to Llliger, who freed it from extraneous species, and 
we, with Temminck, Vieillot, and others, adopt it as we find 
it. The species now regarded as Numeni form a very natural 
sroup, being closely allied in manners, colours, and somewhat 
even in size. Hence they have been continually mistaken for 
each other, erroneously united, or wantonly multiplied, as will 
be made amply apparent by the synonyms and scientific history 
of each species. 
All the species of curlews have the bill very long, slender, 
feeble, much arched, slightly compressed, almost cylindrical, 
hard and obtuse at tip, and entire: the upper mandible is 
longest, furrowed for three-fourths of its length, rounded towards 
the tip; the lower a little shorter. The nostrils are basal, 
lateral, longitudinal, linear, being placed in the furrow. The 
tongue is very short, small, and acute. The face is attenuated, 
and wholly feathered. ‘The feet are rather elongated, slender, 
bare above the heel ; the tarsi cylindrical, half longer than the 
middle toe, with their integument reticulated : the three fore 
toes are short, fimbriated, scutellated beneath, all connected at 
base by a short membrane, extending to the first articulation ; 
the hind toe is inserted high upon the tarsus, slender, short, 
but longer than the phalanx of the fore toes, bearing on the 
ground only at tip; the claws are arcuate, rather short, 
bluntish ; the cutting edge of the middle one being entire. 
The wings are long, acute, falciform, with from twenty-eight 
to thirty stiff quills: the first primary is longest ; the scapulars 
are elongated. he tail, rather short, is somewhat rounded, 
and of twelve feathers. 
They moult once annually : the females perfectly resemble 
the males in colour, and the young only differ, but can be known 
at once, by their bill being much shorter and less bent. 
