6l2 COMMON CURLEW. 



Denmark, Holland and Flanders, as well as on some of the wastes 

 of Britannv. Mr. Gatke has described the immense flights which 

 cross Heligoland on migration, and throughout Central and Southern 

 Europe this species is well known on passage, ranging as far west 

 as the Azores ; it winters in Africa from the Mediterranean to 

 Damara-land and Natal, and visits Madagascar. As regards Asia, 

 the birds found between the Caspian and Lake Baikal exhibit more 

 white on the rump and axillaries than our western form — though 

 they intergrade with it, and these have been specifically dis- 

 tinguished as A'. Uneatics ; Eastern Siberia, again, is inhabited by 

 N. cyanopHS, a valid species — characterized by a broadly-barred 

 rump — which visits Australia in winter. The American represen- 

 tative of our bird is the large N. longirostris, which has rufous 

 axillaries. In the Mediterranean basin and in Southern Russia we 

 find a small Curlew, N. te?iuirosfris, no larger than the Whimbrel, 

 with which it has been confounded : quite unnecessarily, for it has a 

 striated crown and its axillaries are pure white. 



The open, unconcealed nest is placed indifferently upon dry bare 

 ground or in heather, grass or bog ; and the 4 large pear-shaped 

 eggs, which are olive-green blotched with brow^n, and measure about 

 275 by I "9 in., have been found near Carlisle early in April, while 

 on the high moors of Northumberland incubation is not unfrequent 

 by the end of that month. Mr. A. Chapman has remarked that the 

 young seldom go far from the nest for the first itw days. As long 

 as the latter remain on the moors and pastures their diet consists of 

 berries, worms, snails, spiders, insects &c., and in early autumn the 

 birds are excellent eating ; but after they have resorted to the sea- 

 shore and fed on crustaceans and marine animals they become 

 unpalatable. The Curlew has often been seen to perch on tall 

 trees ; its flight is rapid — a wedge-shaped formation being assumed 

 by flocks : while it is not only remarkably wary, but seems to take 

 pleasure in alarming every living creature within hearing of its shrill 

 cour-lie-. in the breeding-time, however, it has a peculiar rippling note. 



The adult in spring-plumage has the feathers of the crown and 

 upper parts pale brown, with darker central streaks ; rump and 

 upper tail-coverts white, the latter streaked with dark brown towards 

 their tips ; tail-feathers barred with dark brown and dull white ; 

 under parts pale brown — nearly white on the belly — streaked with 

 dark brown. The female is the larger and has the longer bill. 

 Whole length 21-26 in.; wing 11-5 to 12-25 ij^- I^^ winter the 

 under parts are almost white ; and in the young bird they are 

 washed with buff. The Curlew does not breed until its second spring. 



