62 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



west and north of England, Wales, Scotland, and 

 Ireland. Our illustrations are from photographs 

 taken on the Westmorland Fells, where these birds 

 are very common. We found a couple of nests 

 within a few yards of each other, the one containing 

 two, and the other three eggs ; and the specimen 

 figuring on the previous page was only just over the 

 wall in an adjoining pasture. 



Materials. A few short bits of dead rushes, 

 withered grass, or dead leaves, placed in some small 

 declivity ; sometimes nothing whatever. 



Eggs. Four, sometimes only three, varying 

 from olive-green to brownish-buff in ground-colour, 

 spotted and blotched with dark green and blackish- 

 brown. Size about 2.65 by 1.85 in. (See Plate IX.) 



Time. April, May, and June. 



Remarks. Resident, but resorting to the coast- 

 line during winter. Notes : curlew , curlew , uttered 

 something like gurleck, gurleck, when the bird is 

 alarmed. Also a long bubbling kind of whistle in 

 ascending scale during the breeding season. Local 

 and other names : Whaap, or Whaup, Stock Whaap. 

 A very light sitter. 



ADULT CURLEW GOING ON TO NEST 



