THE COMMON CURLEW. 261 



the Lammermuirs, where it breeds, and towards the end of 

 July it begins to return to the sea-side. As numbers of this 

 species are seen passing the lighthouses ^ on the coasts of 

 England and Scotland during spring and autumn on migra- 

 tion, it is probable that our Berwickshire birds receive 

 additions to their numbers from these in spring, and that 

 some of those which are bred in this county leave us in 

 autumn for more southern regions, their places being filled 

 up by the autumn migrants from the Highlands of Scotland 

 or more northern climes. 



The nest of the Curlew commonly consists of a slight 

 hollow amongst short grass, heather, or rushes, lined with 

 some dry bents or other similar material. The eggs, which 

 are large and pear-shaped, are three or four in number, olive 

 green, blotched and spotted with olive brown, and are gener- 

 ally placed in the nest with their small ends together. 



The food of this bird when on the moors in summer 

 consists of worms and insects,^ while on the coast in winter 

 it picks up sandworms and other small marine creatures. 



On the ground the Curlew generally walks about in a 

 stately manner, and as it is very wary and difficult to 

 approach, I have seldom succeeded in stalking it. When 

 in a flock the birds sometimes fly in the shape of an arrow- 

 head, with a few of them straggling behind. 



It is an excellent dish for the table when young and 

 feeding on the moors. In the Eclogues of Alexander Barclay,^ 

 which were written a few years after the battle of Flodden, 

 the poet, referring to the dainty meats at that date, says a 

 shepherd at court must not think to get " swanne nor heron, 



1 They frequently strike the lanterns of the lighthouses at night. 



2 Mr. Hardy in his MS. Notes, dated the 9th of July 1842, says : " Lauder- 

 dale forester's opinion was that Wliaups were no nice in their feeding, and eat 

 snails and worms and they kind o' things." 



3 Sibbald's Chron. Scot. Poet., vol. ii. p. 426. 



