ESQUIMAUX CURLEW. 
127 
rica, JVumenius brevirostris, not recognising in them the JV. borealis 
of Latham. 
Although we call this bird Esquimaux Curlew, it would perhaps 
be better to condemn this name altogether, and give this one the 
really appropriate name of Short-billed Curlew, although this as 
well as the former appellation has been misapplied. As for the 
legitimate scientific name, this also might be disputed. Borealis 
was first given by Gmelin to the Hudsonian Curlew, but as he 
called them Scolopax, we have preferred retaining the appellation 
of Latham, who is admirably correct with respect to the Curlews, 
being only wrong perhaps in the choice of the name, and certainly 
in the citation of Gmelin. As for Temminck, in declaring that 
the new species of Lichtenstein differs essentially from Latham’s 
JV. borealis, (a fact which was doubted by the accurate German 
himself,) he must have had in view our JV. hudsonicus, Lath., the 
Scolopax borealis of Gmelin. 
We can form no opinion on the JV. rufiventris of Vigors, a 
supposed new Curlew from the North West Coast: the diagnosis 
is certainly inconclusive, not embracing the essential characters; 
and establishes no difference between it and JV. hudsonicus , of 
which it also has the size. 
The JV. madagascariensis of Brisson forms a seventh species of 
JVumenius peculiar to Southern Africa and Oceanica, allied to the 
arquata and longirostris: it is figured on the pi. enl. 198 of Buffon. 
We do not know either JV. virgatus, or JV. lineatus of Cuvier, but 
one of them at all events will have to be referred to the madagas¬ 
cariensis. 
