60 SLENDER-BILLED CURLEW. 



centimetres and a lialf, (about two inclies and a fifth.;) 

 small diameter three centimetres seven millimetres to three 

 centimetres eight millimetres^, (about one inch and a fifth.) 



The adult male has the upper plumage brown; the 

 feathers on the vertex bordered with russet, those of 

 the neck and nape with whitish ash, and of the back 

 ashy, with a russet tinge; the rump and u^iper tail 

 coverts pure white, the latter being marked with some 

 longitudinal brown spots; the throat and under wing 

 and tail coverts pure white; the neck in part, and the 

 crop, marked on a whitish ground, feebly tinged with 

 russet, with blackish brown spots, small and more like 

 drops on the throat, increasing in size on the crop and 

 abdomen, where they are large, distinct, and of a lan- 

 ceolate form, the ground being the same: these spots 

 are still larger and rounder on the flanks as far as the 

 pure white under wing coverts. Superciliary ridge, 

 cheeks, and sides of the neck ash-coloured, with fine 

 brown spots; wing coverts brown, bordered and deeply 

 notched in four or more indentations with white. 

 Primaries brown: the first with the shaft white, those 

 which follow the fourth tipped and spotted with white 

 on their borders. Tail white, irregularly banded with 

 brown; beak blackish brown above, flesh-coloured 

 below at the base; legs lead grey; iris brown. 



The female, according to Degland, resembles the 

 male, but is larger, with the beak longer, and the 

 brown spots on the abdomen elongated, and not in drops. 



My figure is from a specimen kindly sent me by 

 Mr. Tristram, and marked "Constantino, Feb. 6th., 

 1857," therefore in winter plumage. 



It has also been figured by Bonaparte, Faun. Ital.; 

 Savi, Ornith. Toscan.; Naumann, Vogel. Deutschlands, 

 pi. 218; Gould, B. of E., pi. 304; Koux, Orn. Prov., 

 vol. ii, pi. S18. 



