NUMENIUS LINE AT lib. 
907 
peculiar marking of these feathers accords well with that of the under surface and flanks, which I hold to be the 
main distinguishing characteristic. The Ceylonese, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and, curiously enough, the South- 
African Curlews all differ from their European and Western- Asiatic relatives in having the stripes of the fore 
neck chest breast, and particularly the flanks in the form of narrow, clearly-defined shaft-lines, broader of course 
on the latter part than on the neck, but still not breaking up into bars or expanding into short and rather 
roundish drops as in the true A T . arquatus ; the ground-colour of the neck and chest is always whiter than in 
the latter, and, as an accompaniment to the narrow stripes of the above-mentioned parts, the ax, Hanes are almost 
pure white, having merely a narrow shaft-line near the tip, which in some specimens (probably old) is absent. 
In ,*»* European Curlews there is scarcely any marking, but what there is takes a transverse form and not a 
lineal one. I have examined a fine series of Chinese and Formosan examples collected by Swiulioe, and they 
are all of the Uneatus type ; only one specimen shows any trace of barring on the longer flank-feathers, and this 
is apparently an immature bird. Swinhoe unites the Japanese form, A 7 , major of Schlegel, with h e Chinese ; and 
the latter author correctly considers it identical also with the Curlew found m South Africa. This Chinese sene 
measure in the wing 11-5 to 12-5 inches, and in the bill to gape (straight) 6-2a to , -0. South- African s P ec ™®|J* 
in the British Museum are inseparable from Ceylonese, Chinese, and Indian birds: one example measures m the 
wing 12-0 inches, hill to gape (straight) 6*8 ; one from India, wing 11-75 niches, bill to gape (straight) b b. 
There is a specimen from Athens in the national collection which I canDot separate from our form, and there is 
no reason why it should not be found in such an intervening and somewhat eastern locality as Greece. Indian 
examples are of course identical with Ceylonese, as the latter migrate to the island by way of the Peninsula. 
Measurements, according to respective writers, are ? (Hume), wing 11-6 to 12-0 inches, bill at front 6-8 to 7^o, 
weight 1 lb. 11 oz. to lib. 14 oz.; (Armstrong), wing 11 'I, bill from gape 5-2 ; ? , wing 11-2, bill from gape 7 2, 
(Jerdon) wing 11 to 12|, bill at front 4-0 to G-5. There is great variation in the hill, in the same manner as in the 
K cwmcrnus^Y ieUl . is the Australian representative of this Curlew, migrating northward into China and Amoor Land. 
The hack and rump are brown, with fulvous edgings to the feathers ; the underparts are fulvescent, lineated as 
in the Indian bird, and the axillaries are barred with brown. Examples from Australia, including one iroin 1 or 
Essington, measure— wing 11-5 to 12-5 inches, bill to gape (straight) 6-5 to 7'2. 
Distribution . — This fine bird, which, like other Waders, is a cool-season migrant to Ceylon arrives m the 
island about the middle or end of September, hut is not seen m any great numbeis uni e en o e 
following month. It is very abundant in the north of Ceylon, frequenting the tidal flats between the Jaffna 
slanl in very large flocks, and is equally numerous down the west coast to Manaar^ Great numbers likewise 
Sequent the long Lai which runs out from the Erinativoe Islands, and hundreds find a home on the extensive 
ands at the northern entrance to the Manaar channel. I have seen it on Karativoe Island and on the 
Puttalam Lake and near Chilaw, hut south of this it is rare. It is occasionally seen at Negombo, and I beheve 
occurs at suitable places down the west coast. I never saw it at Galle ; bu it is found at Ma ara and further 
east in the Ilambantota district it is not uncommon. Thence northwards it is found on all the estuaries, 
lagoons, and salt lakes on the east coast. It is tolerably abundant in the Trineomalie district, and occasionally 
wanders from Tamhlegam to the Kanthelai tank. The Nilavele salt lake and the Pena-kerretje lagoon 
were favourite resorts of the Curlew when I was stationed at Trineomalie. Mr. Parker tells me that he lias 
seen occasional individuals at the Madewatchiya tank, which is quite m the centre of the northern part of 
tlic lslctucl • * 
This Curlew is found all round the coasts of India and Burmah ; and though it is chiefly a littoral species, 
it, notwithstanding, occurs on the larger rivers inland, anil is likewise, according to Jerdon found on marshes 
and lakes in the interior. I do not find it recorded from the Deccan by any observers bu Messrs Davidson 
and Wender, and they state that it is rare. It occurs on the Laccadives, hut not so commonly as the Wlmnbrel. 
Mr Hume procured it at two islets, Cardamom and Aucuttee. In the north-west it is abundant, affecting 
th e rivers in the Punjab and the borders of the Indus; and in Sindh " is nearly equally common writes 
Mr Hume in the neighbourhood of all the larger inland pieces of water, as well as m the harbour and 
backwaters of its coast and of the Mekran coast.” It is very common in the tank-country of Guzerat, 
fluting the edges of j heels in large fleets of two or three hundred and it amves there as eariy as July 
( Butler ) It is equally numerous in Kattiawar and Kutch; and in Kurraciee lai our ap . u er las 
seen it ail through the hot weather. In Jodhpoor Mr. Hume says it is rare ; but ou its eastern eonfines, at 
0 A 
