Genus— N U M E N I TJ S . 
Numenius Brunnich, Zool. Fund., p. 76, 1771 . . Type N. arquata . 
Also spelt — 
Numesius Temminck, Manuel d’Orn., 2nd ed., Vol. IL, p. 601, 1820. 
Neomenius Billberg, Synops. Faunae Scand., Vol. I., Pars. 2, tab. a, and p. 169, 1828.” 
Emendation of Numenius. 
Cracticornis Gray, List Genera Birds, 2nd ed., p. 88, 
1841 Type N. arquata. 
Also spelt — 
Cractiornis Gray, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Birds, p. 116, 1855. 
Largest Scolopacine Waders with very long arched biUs, long wings, moderately 
long legs, strong feet, and medium tails. 
The very long bill is strongly arched, with the tip of the upper mandible 
curved down and projecting beyond the lower, obtuse and httle thickened. 
The nostrils are linear, near the base of the bill, placed in a groove which 
extends more than half the length of the bill. The culmen is longer than the 
tail and more than half the length of the wing. Wings long with the first 
primary longest. Tail rounded and moderately long but less than half the 
length of the wing. 
Metatarsus long and scutellated in front, but regularly covered with the 
hexagonal scales on the hinder part. In the nestling the frontal scuteUation 
is quite regular, but in many adults the scuteUse appear broken up towards 
the heel. The toes are strong, about hah the length of the metatarsus ; the 
anterior ones are connected by a web near the base only, the skin of the soles 
laterally dilated ; claws flattened and blunt ; hind toe rather long, provided 
with a claw. 
The preceding diagnosis only refers to the Curlews, as I restrict it to 
N. arquata y cyanopus, and longirostris. The genus Numenius has been generally 
used to include the “ Curlews ” and “ Whimbrels,” and also the “ Little 
Whimbrel.” Apparently any large, and in the case of the last-named, even 
a small Wader with a curved bill was referable to the genus Numenius^ even 
by splitters. Yet no group has been more spht up into genera than the 
present one. It appears appropriate to here quote what Coues wrote when 
monographing the Tringece of North America, just over fifty years ago : 
“ But while in other groups, particularly among the smaller land birds, 
the divisions have been minute and greatly extended, there seems to have 
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