TRINGINiE. KUMENIUS* 
77 
ji having a narrow medial groove, not occupied by the tongue, 
I which is short, sagittate, narrow, tapering, grooved above, 
acute ; oesophagus very long, and rather narrow ; proventri- 
1 cuius oblong ; stomach a large and powerful gizzard, having 
| the muscles distinct, the tendons radiated, and the inner coat 
I rugous ; intestine long, of moderate width ; coeca rather slen- 
der, cylindrical, shortish ; cloaca globular. Nostrils linear, 
j pervious, basal. Eyes rather small, eyelids feathered. Aper- 
jj ture of ear moderate, roundish. Legs long and slender ; 
tibia bare below, reticulated ; tarsus long, reticulated, but 
!j having for two-thirds of its length anteriorly a series of short 
scutella ; toes rather short, slender, with numerous scutella, 
broad and flat beneath, the anterior webbed to the second 
i joint, the hind toe very small ; claws small, slightly arched, 
compressed, obtuse. Plumage moderately full, soft, blended ; 
the feathers oblong or lanceolate ; wings very long, narrow, 
pointed, with about thirty quills ; first primary longest, the 
rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries slightly incurved, some 
' of the inner much elongated and tapering ; tail rather short, 
rounded, of twelve acuminate feathers, the two medial con- 
siderably longer. 
The Curlews are closely allied to the Tringse and Limosae, 
and in some respects, especially the form of the bill, to the 
Ibises. They are generally distributed, of migratory habits, 
frequent the shores in winter and spring, breed in waste 
and marshy ground, laying four pyriform, spotted eggs. 
They are suspicious, easily alarmed, run with great celerity, 
have a light and rapid flight, and feed on insects, larvae, 
mollusca, and Crustacea. Both sexes are alike, and the sum- 
mer plumage does not differ from that of winter. Their 
flesh is excellent. Two species occur in Britain. 
188 . Numenius Arquata. Great Curlew. 
Length from twenty-one to twenty-six inches ; bill from 
five to seven inches ; plumage of the head, neck, and fore 
part of the back, light reddish-grey, streaked with blackish- 
brown ; the hind part of the back white, with narrow, longi- 
tudinal dark marks ; the tail white, with twelve black bars ; 
the breast, sides, and abdomen white, -with lanceolate black 
spots and bars. 
