742 
U. S. P. E. R EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
on the top of the head and on the back with brownish black ; stripe before and over the eye white; under parts dull yellowish 
white; under wing coverts and axillaries black; rump black; upper tail coverts white; tail black; base and tip white; bill 
yellow, tipped with brownish black; legs dark brown. 
Total length about 15 inches; wing, 8; tail, 3; bill, 2J to 3£; tarsus, 2J inches. 
Ihb .—Northern and eastern North America; New Jersey, (Mr. A. Galbraith.) 
Much smaller than the preceding, and easily distinguished by its white rump and black tail 
at all ages, and when adult by the red color of the under parts of the body. It appears to he 
abundant in the northern regions of this continent, hut is of rare occurrence in the United 
States, though occasionally met with in the winter. We have never seen it from the western 
shores of the republic. 
This species is allied to the European L. melanura, but differs in having the axillars and 
under coverts dark brown instead of white ; the neck brownish gray instead of chestnut. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. No. 
Locality. 
Collected by— 
646 
New York_...... 
S. F. Baird_ 
8074 
Arctic America_ 
Jno. Gould_ 
Section MUMEOTEAE. 
NUMENIUS, Linnaeus. 
Numenius, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. 1746. Type Scolopax arquata, Linn. 
Ch.—L egs covered anteriorly with transverse scutellae, laterally and behind with small hexagonal scales. Bill very long, 
exceeding the tibia, and curved downwards for the terminal half; the culrnen rounded. Tip of bill expanded laterally and club- 
shaped. Grooves of bill not reaching beyond the middle. Tertials as long as primaries. 
Bill variable in length, always longer than tarsus, sometimes exceeding tarsus and toes. It 
is nearly straight at the base, then decurving quite rapidly to the tip, where the upper mandible 
is thickened downwards beyond and over the lower. Lateral grooves occupying only the basal 
half or third of the bill; under mandible not grooved beneath. Cleft of mouth extending but 
little beyond the base of culmen. Feathers of head extending about the same distance on both 
mandibles ; those of chin to opposite the anterior extremity of the nostrils. Tarsi nearly twice 
as long as middle toe, rather more than twice the bare part of tibia. It is covered behind by 
hexagonal scales larger than the lateral ones. Outer toe webbed for its basal joint; inner 
for half this distance. Tail short, nearly even, not quite half the wings. Tertials as long 
as the primaries. 
Of the genus Numenius several species are found in North America, none of them occurring in 
the Old World, as is the case with so many of the Tringeae. 
