Some Notes On the Curleiv. i39 



my care and trouble, just when it seemed hoimd to succeed! 

 his alarm note upsettint^" all my calculations and arran,i;ements. 

 The bird does not make very j^ood eatin.i;', althou.^h it is relished 

 by some i)eoi)le, — chacuii a son gout. It is. perhaps, as well for 

 the Curlew that it does not make a dainty dish or it might con- 

 ceivably be a rarer bird than it is! In the sprins.^" the Curlew's 

 " fancy lightly turns to thoughts of 1o\t,"' and he then forsakes 

 his winter quarters on the shore for more suitable spots where 

 he may bring up his family. Hence in spring and summer one 

 hnds many Curlews on the Scottish moors, wheeling in the air 

 and uttering their plaintive cries. Among the heather the fe- 

 male deposits her four eggs, well hidden and difficult to find as 

 the eggs so resemble the heather and ground in colouring". 

 The eggs are pointed at one end, the shape of the common lap- 

 wings, and are olive in colour with brown markings. The 

 l)arent birds e\'ince great concern when a human approaches the 

 vicinity of the nest, flying round in circles with loud cries of 

 distress. If the eggs are hard to discover, the yoimg birds are 

 equally so. or even more difficult to see. They can run as soon 

 as they are hatched, and, when danger approaches, do so in all 

 directions, and then crouch down in the heather or grass with 

 which they blend and harmonize so completely as to baffle the 

 seeking eye. The baby Curlew does not possess the long curved 

 bill of the adult bird and is altogether a queer-looking little chap. 



These waders are quite easily kept in 'captivity. I have 

 owned several in pre-war days. Despite of their shy nature in 

 the wild state, they soon became very tame. They always kept 

 themselves in a spotlessly clean condition, and made a most at- 

 tractive addition to the large waders aviary where 1 kept them. 

 Their food consisted of barley meal, puppy meal, bread, boiled 

 rice, and strips of raw meat added to the mixture. And, very 

 important, as many worms as could be obtained 1 found that 

 plenty of worms were not only regarded appreciatively but also 

 beneficial. The Curlew in the photographs sent with this, was 

 a very tame specimen, and he was allowed a considerable a- 

 mount of freedom. He did not approve, however, of being- 

 snapped," and it was only after a good deal of patience and 

 perseverance that I fmally made him understand that my camera 

 was not an instrument of torture; in the end I managed to secure 



