278 WH1MUREL. 



ochreous white ; the crown, however, is divided 

 along- the centre by a streak of paler colour, occa- 

 sioned by the feathers being broadly edged with 

 white, while on each side they have scarcely any 

 pale edging 1 , but form patches of dark hair-brown ; 

 the white on the lower part of the back runs far- 

 ther up than in the Curlew ; the chin is white and 

 unspotted ; the cheeks, neck, and whole under 

 parts are also pure white, but thickly and broadly 

 dashed with hair-brown, the marking's on the 

 flanks and upper parts of the belly assuming the 

 form of irregular bars ; the vent and under tail- 

 coverts only being- unspotted, except the appear- 

 ance of the hair-like dark shafts ; the axillary 

 feathers barred with hair-brown ; the centre tail- 

 feathers are pale hair-brown, barred with a darker 

 shade, the tint becoming paler and more broken 

 up towards the outside, where the ground-colour 

 is nearly pure white; the bill is deep blackish- 

 brown, tile-red at the base of the maxilla ; the 

 legs and feet are bluish-grey, rather more stout 

 and proportionally shorter than in the Curlew. 

 The above is nearly the colouring of the male bird 

 stated previously to have been killed near Kirk- 

 cudbright. In the female, shot at the same time, 

 the pale tints are all more or less ochreous, and 

 the markings on the under parts extend only to 

 the breast, the centre of the belly, vent, and tail- 

 coverts being pure white ; the upper tail-coverts 

 are also more distinctly barred with hair-brown. 



