A l T S T M j L « : C o u U .
NXJM^pF^S, AUSTRALIS, Gould.
Australian Curlew.
Nvmenms Australis, 'Qjjuld
Wia-jotfrofy-mg, $j(>gpnes of IM n a iilli rer.,*#Iatem ilijgtraBa. MAn-io-weiAt. AKirit'tyin’qflJftfi Kssmgton, ■
iQ.it/rlew, of '*
3art of tte woild jjl l pjind'many instancy of species so closely
jSn^iuilJin!' ■ Ilhjj^rjgiaai .10 III, Ifilfjtopnrs ofjdV-tarir countries, thaftbey at first siglit appear to be identical,
j^ju' on il more ®u£fis|uomparison and t \ irnm v prnu to U merelyrepresentatives j in no case
h c s» » ir 'M jU ', laji o1 ^un'Hi^i.aidiit lor such 11 >• > ih 11H1 .|lvmarked as m ,Australia,
ivliiK ig l 1 hw Jiui mime oil; iBa dMftT o « ui it lnirl*. »1 1 In, U n (mblihg otheis pecnljtauto Europe
a n d -N g r ^ ^ f f i f e that they ijppear to be the same jiaud the p ^ K ^ d K S b e cited as a case in ppipti
for a casu|l ohap^^onhL.iCjTimi pronoiimi lrTtoVBi ih c ‘ ( nmutijn Cutliw of-Europe; on comparison,
lio n y c i, ^ g f t s n d t.o'differ frqjn th a tbsp efip p la y in g t I 'U 'f t ^ i j l^ t h i rg.rnp md upper ml covert
'.§£f'uu buried with tyrgws instead of white, and in the under surface being washed with buff.
JBe raagS species over Australia appears tg'bejunreepll^ for I have'reeeived specimens from
P ^ E s s in g fo n , Swau R iy e r ,^ |B h w s t ra lia , New Soufh?Wales, Van Oilmen's Land, and all the islands
in I l i - 'S j)lrup>" 'hiit jn no oiu^ot tin -t countries is ib S g r e abundant thm-p^Van'Diemen’s l^nfC where
it is to be met with in'flocks i^Mghmighbourhood of risers and marshy situations, uttering a very similar
call, and exhibiting the same actions and manners a a j& e Common Curleg of E u ro p e ^® t|dt bird,
g t.% also especially fond of running over 'the'fla^t leff bare by the receding.tidaStto feed npon the various
molluscous animals abounding in such .situations.
The weight o f thisdrird js about two pounds : thg stomachs, of those dissected were found to be extremely
muscular, and contained the remains of shelled mollusks, crabs, &c-
The breeding’ jeouud has pphyet b^^diseovered ; the bird ImolpMjwftagS to the high lands of Van
Diemen’s Land or Australia Felix fbi that purpose.
. A sitoilarity o f colouring pervades both sexes.
Crown of the head and hack o f the neck blackish brown, each feathgrjnarmjifd wjth buff; back blackisli
brown, each feather irregularly blotched with reddish buff on the. margins ^wjnji^ovcrts blackish brown,
'margined with greyish white; tertiaries brown, irregularly blotched on t f l f t p i t i e s with lighter brown;
rump and upper tail-coverts dark brown, barred across the margins wlthproyuihi buff; tail light brown,
crossed with bars o f dark brown; greater coverts blackish 'brtyjpXahghify tipped wulvwbite; first live
primaries dark brown with white stems, the remainder aiid the secondaries crossed by irregular interrupted
bars o f white; sides o f tfje face, throat, imd alLthc under surface pale buif,with a fine.lineiof blackish
brown down the centre of, each feather; basal balf-iof the JiUl' llcshrColo ur tinged with olive; apical portion
deep blackish brown; legs bluish load-colour wirides dark brown.
The figure is o f the natural size.