THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
plus long, a proportion de la taille ; le fond de son plumage d’un ferru- 
gineux sale, inclinant au brun, et I’iris jaune. On le trouve a la Nouvelle 
HoUande.” 
In 1837-8, Gould, without much investigation, described the bird giving 
it two names, australasianus and australis, in two papers meant to be identical. 
Its only other synonym of note was also given by Gould, who, receiving a bird 
in summer-plumage from Formosa, did not recognise it and renamed it rufescens. 
This bird is figured in the Watling Drawings and this would appear to be the 
source of Latham’s description. No. 239 has written upon it by the artist : 
“ near the Natural size, the enghsh Curlue, the Native name Gaur-arr-re-bing.” 
A note in Latham’s handwriting reads “ Common Curlew var., Latham Syn.V. 
119.” There is a name Numenius rostratus Latham MS. which appears to 
be based on this drawing, but was not pubhshed until 1843, so that it only 
ranks in the synonymy. 
