670 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



heart-shaped sepia marks, some upper tail-coverts irregularly 

 barred same ; eye-stripe, cheeks and sides of neck, fore-neck and 

 upper-breast light buff or white, streaked sepia ; sides of belly 

 and flanks white with heart-shaped patches and irregular marks 

 of sepia ; rest of breast and belly white with pear-shaped sepia 

 markings less frequent on belly ; vent, under tail-coverts, axillaries 

 and under wing-coverts white, sometimes some under tail-coverts 

 and axillaries with a narrow sepia streak or marking ; tail-feathers 



white, broadly barred sepia ; pri- 

 maries sepia, paler on inner webs 

 which are more or less mottled 

 white towards base, inner ones 

 margined or notched white on 

 outer webs, inner webs notched 

 and indented white ; secondaries 

 _ ,. , ,. . ,, _. , „, , _ . and greater coverts sepia, mar- 



Belly feather of the Slender-billed Curlew . ,° . , , , . -, ; *■ , , .. 



(Numenius temdrostris). gmed, notched and indented white ; 



innermost and coverts as scapu- 

 lars ; primary -coverts black-brown, inner ones tipped white ; median 

 and lesser coverts as in Curlew but edged white, median coverts 

 notched same. This plumage is acquired by complete moult in 

 autumn. Summer. — Moult apparently as in Curlew but not many 

 birds in moult examined. As winter but feathers of crown, mantle 

 and scapulars margined pink-buff ; sides of neck and breast more 

 closely streaked and belly and flanks more plentifully spotted and 

 with more numerous heart-shaped marks ; new innermost second- 

 aries and coverts apparently as winter. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Resembles adult summer, but feathers of crown, 

 nape, mantle and scapulars edged light or warm buff, scapulars 

 notched same ; cheeks, sides of neck, fore-neck and upper-breast 

 with narrow sepia streaks, those on breast widening out at tip of 

 feather ; sides of belly and flanks without heart-shaped markings 

 and irregularly streaked and barred sepia ; belly white, with some- 

 times some sepia streaks on upper portion ; tail as adult but bars 

 slightly narrower ; wing as adult but innermost secondaries and 

 coverts as scapulars ; median coverts sepia, edged and slightly 

 notched light buff or white ; lesser coverts edged light buff or 

 white . 



First winter. — As adult and hardly distinguishable except by 

 worn appearance of juvenile tail-feathers and wing-coverts and by 

 innermost median coverts having buff edges at sides only and not 

 white or pinkish-white all round as in adult. Moult apparently 

 as in Curlew but very few moulting specimens examined. First 

 summer. — Moult aj)parently as adult, after which only distinguish- 

 able if innermost median coverts are not too worn and faded. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 245-256 mm., tail 

 91-96, tarsus 57-65, bill from feathers 67-75 (9 measured). $ wing 

 250-264, bill 80-94 (5 measured). Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd 



