COMMON CURLEW. 503 



distinguished by many names, and respecting which few 

 ornithologists are agreed ; but the main points appear to be 

 that in the eastern form the bill is on the average longer 

 and more robust ; the rump is nearly white, and so ai'e the 

 axillaries — characteristics which are seldom found united in 

 western birds. If these differences depend upon age or 

 season, and are not sufficient to warrant specific distinction, 

 then the range of our Curlew extends to South Africa ; 

 across Asia to Japan and China ; and, through India, down 

 to the Malay Archipelago, where it is intersected by that 

 of N. cyanopus, Vieillot {N. major, Schlegel, N. austraUs, 

 Gould), distinguishable by the strong rufous-grey bars on 

 the rump and upper tail-coverts, which goes from Amoor 

 Land to Australia. In America the representative species 

 is N. longirostris, which has rufous axillaries. 



The nest of the Curlew is slight : a few leaves or other 

 dry materials, carelessly brought together among long grass 

 or heath, or in a tuft of rushes, is all that appears. The 

 eggs are three or four in number, pear-shaped, and generally 

 placed with the smaller ends together : the egg measures 

 2'75 by 1*9 in., and is of an olive-green, blotched and 

 spotted with darker green and dark brown. Incubation 

 sometimes commences in April, but May is the usual month. 

 The young run almost as soon as hatched, but are unable to 

 fly for a considerable time. In confinement these birds be- 

 come tame enough to follow their feeder for the usual meal, 

 and Mr. C. M, Adamson gives an interesting account of two 

 young ones which he caught when unable to fly, and placed 

 in a walled garden. He got them to feed by placing a 

 quantity of worms in holes dug in the ground, and then 

 cautiously driving the birds in the direction of the holes. 

 At first they did not appear to notice the worms ; however, 

 after passing them several times very slowly, one was seen 

 to hesitate in his walk and look sideways into the hole. 

 This was enough : he began to devour the worms at once, 

 and he never afterwards required to be driven to the holes. 

 They lived until the winter, over which it seems almost 

 impossible to keep such birds, they naturally seeking the 



