BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 137 



Female. — Similar in plumage to male. Dimensions in mm. : — 

 Length, 600; bill, 188; wing, 315; tail, 118; tarsus, 81). 



Nest and Eggs. — Unknown. 



Breeding Season . — Unknown. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, King Island, and doubt- 

 less other of the lai'ger islands in Bass Strait ; Australia in general, 

 New Zealand, New Guinea; migrating to Eastern Siberia, where it 

 breeds. 



Observations. — The Curlew Is a fairly familiar bird about the 

 mouth of the Tamar and various other localities on the North, 

 North-East, and North-West Coasts towards the latter end of the 

 year, arriving in September. 1 cannot speak with any degree of 

 certainty concerning the Southern Coast. A note of mine made 

 one December at the mouth of the Tamar reads: — " Away on a 

 small bank by the edge of the water was a long-billed, long-legged 

 bird whose identity puzzled me for some short while», but when 

 at last it flew to join some companions, befoie unnoticed on the 

 edge of a channel slightly to my left, 1 found the party to consist 

 of Curlews. With slow and stately walk they marched about, 

 searching the shallow pools with long, inquiring bills for their 

 breakfast. I noticed that when on the wing the neck is sometimes 

 constricted after the manner of the White-fronted Heron (Noto- 

 phoyx novce-hollandicB)." 



In common with other migratory species, the Curlew at the 

 approach of autunni wings its wa}' to Siberia, where spring is 

 fast approaching, and there breeds. Gould was of opinion it 

 would be found breeding in the highlands of Tasmania, but, as 

 is well known, such is not the case. 



Some years a few individuals remain all the winter, they being, 

 in all probability; non-breeding birds. 



*WHIMBREL 



(Nunieniim variegatus, Salvad.) 



Male {breeding plumage). — Upper surface nearly uniform dark 

 brown ; feathers of mantle and upper back marked with ashy- 

 brown ; lower back and rump very thickly mottled with bars and 

 spots of brown; tail ashy-brown, tipped with white and crossed 

 by regular bars of dark brown ; wing coverts like the back ; 

 primaries blackish-brown, notched with white on inner webs; 

 secondaries brown, with white marks on both webs ; centre of 

 crown streaked with brown, remainder of crown dark brown, form- 

 ing two broad bands; sides of face and neck pale brown, with 

 darker streaks; chin and upper throat white, sparsely spotted with 

 brown; lower throat, breast, and sides of body pale reddish-buff, 

 streaked with dark brown ; abdomen and under tail coverts white, 

 the latter with brown marks; axillaries white, with broad and 

 numerous bands of brown ; iris dark brown ; bill blackish ; legs and 



