COMMON CURLEW. 275 



be visible above the receding tide. During a flight 

 to any distance, or in migration, they fly in a 

 wedge form, at times skimming low above the 

 waters or shore, at others high over head ; and if 

 the first party is alarmed, and gives notice by their 

 scream, the next in succession will deviate from the 

 track, uttering the same alarm note, as if for a 

 warning to their followers. The Common Curlew 

 is also found in various parts of the European Con- 

 tinent, extending northward, as a summer visitant, 

 to Norway and Sweden, and is found in the Faroe 

 Isles and Iceland, where it even occasionally win- 

 ters.* It was seen at Smyrna by Mr. Strickland ; 

 South Africa is given to it by Dr. Smith ; and 

 China and Nipaul by Mr. Gould. Continental 

 India possesses specimens from the catalogues of 

 Elliot and Jerdan ; but in that of the last a single 

 specimen only is mentioned to have been obtained. 

 We possess specimens from Southern Africa, very 

 nearly resembling European birds ; they have the 

 axillary feathers in every specimen pure white. 

 A specimen from China appears to present some 

 differences, which farther comparisons only can 

 give weight to. The range, however, of this bird, 

 has been much overrated, from the similarity of 

 allied species, which a close examination only can 

 detect. It is represented in America by the N. 

 longirostris. 



The head, neck, and breast, are of a tint of yel- 

 lowish wood-brown or ochreous, varying in in- 

 * Yarrell. 



