872 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
The Curlew does not make much of a nest—a hole 
scratched in the sand or earth amongst heather or 
rushes, and lined with a few small twigs. The young 
birds run about almost as soon as they are hatched. 
The Curlew does not present much diversity of 
colouring in its plumage. The beak, which is very 
much curved downwards, is dark brown, except the 
basal portion of the lower mandible, which is pale 
brown; the irides are dark brown; the head and 
neck pale yellowish brown and dark brown; the 
feathers of the back and scapulars dark brown, 
almost black, margined with pale yellowish brown; 
wing-coverts the same, except that the margins are 
whiter ; the lower part of the back and the rump are 
white; upper tail-coverts pale brown, almost white, 
marked with dark brown; primary quills black, with 
white shafts; secondaries and tertials very dark 
brown in the centre, barred with the same and light 
smoky brown towards the edges; chin white; fore 
part of the neck and breast streaked pale yellowish 
brown and dark brown; belly, flanks, thighs, vent 
and under tail-eoverts white, with a few dark brown 
marks, fewest on the belly and under tail-coverts; 
legs and toes pale blue, becoming lead-blue a few 
days after death; there is a partial web on the first 
joint of the two outer toes. 
The egg is pear-shaped, of a pale olive-brown 
ground, spotted all over with darker olive-brown 
and purplish brown. 
