COMMON CURLEW. 293 



yellow with a tinge of red, and huffish brown. They 

 are smeared, blotched and spotted with dark brown, 

 grey, brownish black, and dull green. Most of the 

 eggs are very pointed. They may be obtained through 

 April and May. 



The Peewit may be easily recognised by the black 

 crest on his head. The general colour of the upper 

 parts is black, shading to bronze green on the back 

 and wings ; the lower part of the head and neck are 

 white, breast black, upper and under tail coverts pale 

 chestnut, the rest of the under parts white. 



The young leave the nest almost at once. When 

 bathing in the Test last spring, a young Peewit some 

 few days old, which we had captured, accidentally got in 

 the river ; we were interested to find it a most perfect 

 little swimmer, quite seeming to enjoy it and paddling 

 about like a young Duck. 



These birds can be made very tame, and will live 

 in a semi-domesticated state. 



COMMON CURLEW. 



NUMENIUS ARQUATUS. 



Family Charadriid^. Genus Numenius. 



Whaap — Whaup. 



This fine bird is a common one on nearly all parts 

 of our coasts in autumn and winter, retiring into the 

 heaths and moorlands of the North at the end of 

 March or beginning of April to breed. It also breeds 

 in Wales and sparingly in Cornwall and Devonshire. 



The Curlew frequents the marshes and mud flats 

 which appear about the mouths of some of our rivers 

 at low water. It is a difficult bird to observe at all 



