THE LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 
39 
Male, 26, 40. 
Besident, and breeds in Texas and on the islands off South Carolina. 
Stragglers go far north. Columbia river. Occasionally seen in the interior. 
Adult male. 
Bill excessively elongated, being more than four times the length of head, 
very slender, sub-cylindrical, slightly compressed, nearly straight to the 
middle, beyond which it is slightly curved, Upper mandible with the ridge 
broad and flat at the base, broad and rounded in the rest of its extent, a deep 
groove running from the nostrils to near the tip, which is decurved, enlarged 
so as to form an oblong obtuse knob, projecting beyond the point of the lower 
mandible, the edges rounded, the inner surface with a deep narrow groove. 
Nostrils basal, lateral, longitudinal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible 
similar in its curvature to the upper, its angle extremely narrow, and 
extending to near the middle, the ridge rounded, the sides w'ith a shallow 
groove to near the end, the edges directly meeting those of the upper man- 
dible, the tip obtuse. 
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck long and slender. Body 
rather slender. Feet long and rather stout. Toes rather small, scutellate 
above ; first very small, second and fourth about equal, third considerably 
longer, flat beneath and broadly marginate, the three anterior connected by 
short webs, of which the outer is much larger. Bare part of tibia covered 
with transverse series of angular scales, as is the upper part of the tarsus, its 
lower two-thirds with scutella in front. Claws small, compressed, blunt, that 
of middle toe largest, curved outwards, with a sharp dilated inner edge. 
Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short. Wings 
long, very acute, narrow, the first quill longest, the second a little shorter, 
the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries of moderate length, slightly 
incurved, narrowly rounded, some of the inner greatly elongated and 
tapering. Tail short, much rounded, of twelve rounded feathers. 
Upper mandible of a rich deep brown in its whole extent, as is the lower 
in its terminal half, its basal portion being flesh-colour, tinged with brown. 
Iris hazel. Feet light greyish-blue ; claws dusky. The ground colour of 
the plumage is light yellowish-red ; the head marked with oblong spots, the 
back with spots and bars of brownish-black. Alula and outer webs of 
first four quills deep brown, the rest of the quills of the general colour, 
barred on both webs with dark brown, as are the tail feathers. Chin or 
upper part of throat white, as is the lower eyelid ; neck marked with 
longitudinal lines of brownish black ; sides barred with the same, as are 
the lower larger wing-coverts ; the rest of the lower parts unspotted, the 
sides and under wing-coverts of a richer yellowish-red than the rest. 
Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 25, to end of claws 29 ' 
