Curlew

( Ornith.) A grallatorial bird, belonging to the Scolopacidæ or Snipe fam., all of which inhabit the vicinity of water and marshes, and feed upon worms. The Long-billed Curlew, Numenius longirostris of all temperate North America, measures about two feet in length, and in breadth from tip to tip above three feet. The bill is about seven inches long, of a regular curve, and blunt at the end; the upper mandible is black, gradually softening into brown toward the base; the under one flesh-colored. The head, neck, and wing Fig. 2796.-LONG-BILLED CURLEW. coverts are streaked with brown; the back and scapulars are nearly black in the middle, edged and deeply indented with light gray. The breast, belly, and lower part of the back are of a dull white, spotted with black; the quill-feathers are black, the inner webs cro ed with white; tail barred with black, on a white ground tinged with red; thighs bare about half-way above the knees, of a bluish color; the toes are thick, and slightly membranous. The female makes her nest upon the ground, in a dry tuft of rushes or gra , and lays four eggs of a greenish cast, spotted with brown. Curl'ing. (Games.) The national winter game of Scotland. It is played upon the ice with polished stones, of circular form, weighing from 35 to 50 pounds. The object of the game is to plant the stone, which is caused to slide over the ice, as nearly as po ible to the "tee," the center of a circle about 40 yards distant, and to drive out the stone of an opponent already planted there. Handles project from the upper surface of the stone, by whose aid the throw is effected. This game is of ancient origin. A stone has been found bearing the date 1551, and others much older and rude in finish, yet bearing the significant handle. The Dudings Curling Society of Edinburg, instituted in 1795, is the oldest in existence. The game has been introduced into the northern U. S. and Canada, where it is extensively played in the winter season. Four players on each side make a game, each using two stones, the principal purposes of the players being to plant their stones near the tee, to guard them there by other stones, and to drive away the stones of the opposing side. C. is called the "roar in' game," on account of the roaring noise made by the stones as they slide swiftly over the ice. Currents, Ocean'ic. ( Hydrog .) The currents of the ocean arise from various causes, either occasional or constant. They may be caused by difference of temperature in different parts of the sea, by inequality of evaporation, by the melting of polar ice, or, in short, any cause tending to disturb the hydrostatic equilibrium. It is believed that a great vertical circulation exists in the ocean, similar in cause and character to that which causes the trade winds in the atmosphere. Thus the heated waters of the tropics expand and rise; the chilled waters of the frigid zones contract and sink. The surface level is in this way disturbed and a steady set of equatorial waters takes place north and south to restore the equilibrium. On the ocean bottom a reverse movement takes place. The dense polar waters flow toward the equator to restore the equilibrium of pre ure. This movement is not strong enough on the surface to be very evident, but it has been shown by deep-sea thermometrical observations of wide extent. To it is probably due much of that warming of the western coast of the continents usually attributed solely to the Gulf Stream and similar currents. These surface currents-"the rivers of the ocean," as they have been called-next claim attention. There are five of these currents which flow in great curves from the equatorial to the temperate zones, known respectively as the Gulf Stream and the Brazilian Current, of the Atlantic; the Kuro Siwo, of the North Pacific; the East Australian Current, of the South Pacific; and the Mozambique Current, of the Indian Ocean. Several theories as to the cause of these great ocean streams have been promulgated, but investigators now believe them to be due to the trade winds, which exert a steady pushing force upon the tropical waters, and keep them continuously in motion in a westward direction. This steady surface movement in the waters of the tropical Atlantic causes a heaping up of sun-heated waters against the coast of South America, where they are divided by Cape St. Roque, the greater volume flowing north to form the Gulf Stream (q. v.), and the remainder flowing south as the Brazilian Current. This is much smaller in volume and le important than the Gulf Stream, and flows southward to the mouth of the La Plata, about 35° S. lat., where it is deflected by a cold current from the south frigid zone. Deep fogs and severe gales are caused by the meeting of these currents of different temperatures, while the combined streams flow eastward, some of the water being deflected northward by the African coast, the remainder pa ing the Cape of Good Hope, and forming part of the great polar flow, which makes the circuit of the earth in the region south of the continents. In the north frigid zone the ocean is land-locked and its currents broken. In the south a zone of oceanic waters encircles the globe, over which the anti-trade winds blow in a steady and strong current, causing an easterly set of the waters. This flow of air from the cold upper atmosphere has the effect of keeping the waters of the southern seas at a lower temperature than those of the same latitude in the north, while icebergs have been brought by the polar flow as far north in latitude as the Cape of Good Hope. The currents of the Pacific have been much le studied than those of the Atlantic. The drift current of the equatorial Pacific, deflected to the north by the numerous islands north of New Guinea, becomes a strong northeast stream of warm water, po e ing, according to the estimate of Dr. Haught on, nearly three times the volume of the Gulf Stream, but of le velocity, its waters not being confined, like those of the latter, in a narrow channel, but occupying a wide space. It flows past the islands of Japan, where it is known as the Kuro Siwo, or "Black Stream," from the deep-blue color of its waters. Thence its waters are deflected eastward toward the American coast, part of them perhaps pa ing through Bering Strait, but the greater portion of them following the coast southward and greatly mitigating its temperature. No Sarga o sea, similar to that of the Atlantic, has yet been found in the North Pacific, but one may exist in some part of that vast and little traversed expanse. The South Pacific presents no such strongly marked currents. The south-flowing portion of the equatorial flow mainly makes its way to the eastern coast of Australia, where it meets the Antarctic current from Ba 's Strait. The combined currents flow easterly between Australia and the northern island of New Zealand, where they sometimes attain the great velocity of 100 miles a day. Part of the flow is deflected to the south of New Zealand. Further on, their course is not well marked until they reach the South American coast, where they are known as Humboldt's Current, and bring fogs and cold winds to the coasts of Chile and Peru. In the northern part of the Indian Ocean the currents vary in direction from the variation in the monsoons, flowing westward during the winter and eastward during the summer. In the southern region of this ocean the trade winds make themselves felt, setting up a strong westerly current, which is turned southward by the African coast, and that of Madagascar, which divides it into two branches. One of these moves along the eastern coast of Madagascar, part of it flowing up the West Australian coast, but the great body of the current moving south to join the South Pacific flow. The other division pa es west of Madagascar through the Mozambique Channel, continuing southward until it reaches the Agulhas bank which lies south of Africa. This is the most important of the southern streams. Under the name of Agulhas Current it displays near Cape Corrientes a volume greater than that of the Gulf Stream and a velocity of six miles an hour. Its waters are warm and its region of junction with the cold Antarctic current is marked by violent storms and rapid changes of temperature. The total volume of these five great currents is estimated by Dr. Haught on at 6% times that of the Gulf Stream, while they are estimated to carry away more than half the solar heat of the tropics for redistribution in the temperate zones. The Polar currents, on the contrary, bring much of the polar chill to the same zones, so that the O. C. vigorously aid the equalization of terrestrial temperatures. Cur'ry, DANIEL, D.D., LL.D., Methodist divine and journalist, born near Peeks kill, N.Y., Nov. 26, 1809. He was a graduate of Wesley an University, Conn. After his admi ion to the ministry and previous to the threatened disruption of the Methodist church, he occupied pulpits in Athens, Savannah and Columbus, Ga. On his return to the North he had pastoral charge of churches in New York, Brooklyn, New Haven and Hartford. In 1854 he was appointed president of the Indiana Asbury University. From 1864 to 1876 he was editor of the Christian Advocate, the principal newspaper of his church. Besides his editorship of other papers, he was the author of a Life of Wyclif ; Platform Papers; Fragments, Religious and Theological , . Died in New York, Aug. 17, 1887. Curry, JABEZ LAMAR MONROE, D.D., LL.D., educator, statesman, and diplomat; born in Lincoln co., Ga., June 5, 1825. He graduated from the University of Georgia and the Dane Law School of Harvard College. He was elected to the Alabama Legislature, and from 1857-61 was a member of the House of Representatives from Alabama. In the Civil War he served as an aid to General Johnson, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel of cavalry. After the war he became president of Howard College in Alabama, and occupied other positions in the same State. In 1855 he was appointed minister to Spain, and in 1881 general agent and honorary trustee of the Peabody education fund, also trustee and chairman of the John F. Slater fund. He is the author of: Constitutional Movement in Spain; William Ewart Gladstone: a Study; besides numerous addre es. Cur'tin, ANDREW GREGG, the famous "war governor" of Pennsylvania, was born at Bellefonte, Pa., April 22, 1817, his parents being of Scotch descent; studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1839, achieving speedy succe and a prominent place in politics, supporting Harrison in 1840 and Clay in 1844. In 1854 he was appointed Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and ex-officio superintendent of public schools, devoting much attention to public instruction during this term of office. Was elected governor of Pennsylvania in 1860, and was a staunch supporter of the Lincoln administration; organized and equipped the 15 full regiments called the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, which went to the front July 21, 1861, the night of the first battle of Bull Run, for a service of three years. The invasions of Pennsylvania in 1863-64 were actively resisted by C. who displayed great vigor in bringing the State troops into service. His second term as governor expired in 1867, and two years later C. was appointed U. S. minister to Ru ia, which position he held until 1872. Was elected to Congre in 1881, and served three terms, after which he retired to private lite, residing quietly in his native town until his death, Oct. 7, 1894. Curtis, GEORGE TICKNOR, lawyer, author, and eminent legal authority, was born at Water town, Ma ., Nov. 28, 1812; graduated at Harvard in 1832; admitted to the bar (1836) and practiced law in Boston until 1862, when he removed to New York, and continued his law practice and literary work until his death, March 28, 1894. Many of his legal digests are regarded as among the very highest authorities of their cla , and his biographies of American statesmen-Daniel Webster (1870); James Buchanan (1883), .-have been very favorably received. IMG:content-0502.png:[graphic]