Okdek LIMICOL^.] 
[Fam. SCOLOPACIDiE. 
NUMENIUS CTANOPUS. 
(AUSTEALIAN CUELEW.) 
liumenius cyanopus, Vieill. 2nd edit, du Nouv. Diet. d’Hist. Nat. vol. viii. p. 306 (1817). 
Numenius major, Schl. (nec Steph.) Fauna Japonica, (see footnote) p. 110 (1850). 
Numenius australis et N. rufescens, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1862, p. 286. 
Numenius tahitiensis, Swinh. (nec Gmel.), Ibis, 1863, p. 445. 
Ad. supra brunnescens : pileo summo uuchaque nigro-fuscis, plumis fulvo marginatis : dorsi plumis conspicue 
medialiter saturatibs brunneis : tectricibus alarum minoribus dorso concoloribus, extus ciuereo anguste 
marginatis : scapularibus cinereo obscure transfasciatis : remigibus saturate brunneis, scapis albidis, 
primariis interioribus cum secundariis irregulariter albo fasciatis : tectricibus majoribus conspicue albo 
notatis : secundariis intimis fulvescenti-cinereo transfasciatis : uropygio et supracaudalibus nigricanti- 
brunneis, plumis Ijete rufescenti-brunneo marginaliter fasciatis : cauda nigricanti-brunnea saturate cinereo 
conspicue transfasciatfi, : gutture albido : facie laterali et corpore subtus pallide fulvescenti-albis, collo 
undique ct pectore summo cinerascentibus, plumis lineS, centrali nigrescenti-fusci notatis : subalaribus et 
axillaribus albis brunneo conspicue transfasciatis : rostro brunneo, mandibuE ad basin flavescente ; pedibus 
olivaceis. 
Adult. General upper surface dark cinereous brown, the feathers of tlie head and hind neck centred with 
blackish brown, which colour spreads and darkens on the baek and mantle ; upper surface of wings more or 
less varied with greyish white, all the feathers having light spots or margins ; the first four primaries elove- 
brown with Avhitc shafts, and freckled with grey on their inner webs, the rest of them darker brown with 
broad interrupted transverse bars of white ; the outer secondaries and their large coverts similarly marked 
but not so distinctly ; the long inner secondaries blackish brown, both webs marked with numerous regular 
bars of obscure cinereous brown changing to white on the margin j tail-feathers blackish brown with darker 
shafts and transversely barred in a similar manner ; so also are the scapulars, but in a less decided way ; 
rump and upper tail-coverts blackish brown, with broad interrupted bars of bright rufous brown ; chin and 
throat white ; sides of the head and fore neck, and the entire under surface, fulvous white, tinged with rufous, 
all the feathers except those on the abdomen and thighs having a narrow central streak of brown, which 
widens perceptibly on both sides of the chest ■ under tail-covcrts washed with rufous and obscurely barred 
with brown ; lining of wings and axillaiy plumes white, the former varied and the latter conspicuously 
barred with blackish brown ; the feathers of the flanks more or less crossed with arrowhead markings of the 
same. Irides black ; bill dark brown, changing to yellowish towards the base of the lower mandible ; legs 
and feet dark olivaceous ; claws black. Total length 29 inches; wing, from flexure, 11-75 ; bill, along the 
ridge 8, along the edge of lower mandible 8*1 ; tarsus 3'o ; middle toe and claw 2 2. 
Female. Similar in plumage to the male, but of somewhat larger dimensions, and with a much longer bill. A 
specimen in Mr. Seebohm's collection from Victoria gives an extreme measurement of 8 inches. I have not 
yet met with an example of this sex in New Zealand. 
Obs. The bird from which the above measurements were taken was shot in the early part of April by Mr. Eobert 
Day on the Kaiapoi river-bar, north of Christchurch, and proved on dissection to be a male. Another of 
the same sex, which was obtained about three months later at the mouth of the Ashley river, gives the 
following smaller measurements: — Total length 25 inches; wing, from flexure, 12; bill 6; tarsus S'l. 
Note. Gould’s Numenius rufescens {1. c.) is undoubtedly this species in summer plumage. He thus describes 
