NESTS AXD EGGS OE AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 8o> 



Sub-family — Totanin,e. 



618. — NuMENius cYANOPUs, Vicillot. — (535) 

 CUELEW. 



Eigure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi., pi. 42. 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxiv., p. 350. 



Geograiilticul Distrihuiinn. — Whole of Australia and Tasmaaia ; 

 also New Zealand and New Guinea, niigi'ating to Eastern Siberia to 

 breed. 



Nest and E(j(jx. — Undescribed. 



Ohservationx. — The real Curlew is a large bird, twenty-four inches 

 long, including a long ciu'ved bill seven inches in length. The general 

 colour of the pliunage is grey, with bluish-green legs. This bird must 

 not be confounded with ,the Stone Curlew of bush-men and others. 



Although the Australian Curlew was first found in AustraUa, it 

 really breeds in Asia, and to escape the Asiatic winter^ migrates down to 

 Australia, and even New Zealand. Mr. Seebohm says : " The Australian 

 Curlew breeds somewhere in Eastern Siberia, since it occtu's on migration 

 from Lake Baikal to the mouth of the Ainoor, and along the coasts of 

 Japan and China." The eggs, however, are unknown, but by analogy 

 we can understand that, hke other Curlews, the Austrahan lays four large 

 eggs of a mottled oUve-green appearance, upon the ground in a marshy 

 situation. The Ciurlew arrives in goodly numbers about the same time 

 as the Snipe. It wanders down the east and west coasts, and has 

 been observed in all the States and Tasmania. Curlews feed upon crabs, 

 molluscs, worms, <fec., on the seashore and mud-flats of estuaries. 

 Westei-n Port, Victoria, is a favourite feeding ground. Regarding that 

 locality Mr. G. E. Shepherd, from his own observations, writes ; " I have 

 noticed the Curlews are always with us before August is qmte gone, 

 though they ai'e not found in great niunbers till towards the end of 

 November, when thousands are to be seen at high tide perched upon 

 the mangrove scrub waiting for the water to recede, at which time they 

 poiuice down upon the crabs, hooking them out of holes with their long 

 bills, which seem specially adapted for this purpose. I have made very 

 careful observation and inquiiy as to their time of departure, and I 

 should fix it as between March and June, but several reliable boatmen 

 state that a few vrinter with us, and odd birds are always to be seen 

 about Western Port Bay." 



Mr. G. E. Sheplierd also mentions that it is a most interesting sight 

 to watch, during some autumn evening, the Curlews commencing their 



