24 
SHORT-BILLED CURLEW. 
return in accumulated numbers to the shores of New Jersey, whence 
they finally depart for the south early in November. 
The Short-billed Curlew is eighteen inches long, and thirty- 
two inches in extent ; the bill, which is four inches and a half long, 
is black towards the point, and a pale purplish flesh color near the 
base ; upper part of the head dark brown, divided by a narrow 
stripe of brownish white ; over each eye extends a broad line of 
pale drab ; iris dark colored ; hind part of the neck streaked with 
dark brown, fore part and whole breast very pale brown ; upper 
part of the body pale drab, centred and barred with dark brown, 
and edged with spots of white on the exterior vanes ; three first 
primaries black, with white shafts ; rump and tail-coverts barred 
with dark brown ; belly white ; vent the same, marked with zig- 
zag lines of brown ; whole lining of the wing beautifully barred 
with brown on a dark cream ground; legs and naked thighs a pale 
lead color. 
The figure of this bird, and of all the rest on the same plate, 
are reduced to exactly one-half the size of life. 
I have some doubts whether or not this species is the Eskimaux 
Curlew {JV. borealis) of Dr. Latham ; as this ornithologist states his 
bird to be only thirteen inches in length, and in breadth twenty- 
one ; whilst that above described is eighteen inches long, and thirty- 
two in breadth. Besides, Latham^s species has a bill of two inches 
in length, and the bill of mine is four inches and a half long. I 
am aware, however, that the bills of some birds increase greatly 
with age ; and if it should turn out hereafter, that the two birds 
are identical, the specimen from which Latham took his description 
must have been quite immature. 
