510 ESQUIMAUX CURLEW. 
with it, observing that it might be a real species, or at least a 
constant variety. But when the bird actually fell into his 
hands, he called his specimens, which were from South 
America, Numenius brevirostris, not recognising in them 
the NV. borealis of Latham. 
Although we call this bird Esquimaux curlew, it would 
perhaps be better to condemn this name altogether, and give 
this one the really appropriate name of short-billed curlew, 
although this as well as the former appellation has been mis- 
applied. As for the legitimate scientific name, this also 
might be disputed. Borealis was first given by Gmelin to the 
Hudsonian curlew, but as he called them Scolopax, we have 
preferred retaining the appellation of Latham, who is admir- 
ably correct with respect to the curlews, being only wrong 
perhaps in the choice of the name, and certainly in the citation 
of Gmelin. As for Temminck, in declaring that the new 
species of Lichtenstein differs essentially from Latham’s WN. 
borealis (a fact which was doubted by the accurate German 
himself), he must have had in view our NV. Hudsonicus, Lath., 
the Scolopax borealis of Gmelin. 
We can form no opinion on the JN. rufiventris of Vigors, a 
supposed new curlew from the north-west coast : the diagnosis 
is certainly inconclusive, not embracing the essential characters, 
and establishes no difference between it and WV. Hudsonicus, 
of which it also has the size. 
The NV. Madagascariensis of Brisson forms a seventh species 
of Numenius peculiar to southern Africa and Oceanica, allied 
to the arquata and longirostris : it is figured on the PI. Enl. 
198, of Buffon. We do not know either WN. virgatus or N. 
lineatus of Cuvier, but one of them, at all events, will have to 
be referred to the Madagascariensis. 
