368 TEN YEARS IN SWEDEN. 



only with its tip ; first wing feather longest ; tail with twelve 

 feathers. 



188. NUMENIUS AEQUATA, L. Stb'rre Spof. The Curlew. 



D.F. 



Length about 23 in. ; beak in a straight line 5 in. ; 



tarsus 3 in. 2 1. ; the lower part of the tarsus and toes 



with transverse scales ; head blackish grey, with no 



streak on the top ; rump and the long axillary plume 



white spotted ; head, neck, breast, and all the upper 



parts rufous ash; belly white, the whole variegated 



with dusky spots. The male is more black and rusty 



brown, the female more brown and rusty grey. 



The young bird can be known by the broad upper part 



of the tarsus, and the shorter, straighter beak. 



Is very common in the south and middle of the country. 

 Goes far up within the Polar circle, but never so high on 

 the fell sides as the next. 



As far as I can see, three is as often the full number of 

 eggs as four. 



189. N. PMOPUS, Lath., Liten Spof. The Whimbrel. 



D.F. 



On the middle of the head a white-grey streak ; rump 

 white; axillary plume white, with black transverse 

 bands ; length 1 ft. 5 in. ; beak 3^- in. ; tarsus 2 in. 21.; 

 head, neck, breast, and upper parts pale ash, spotted 

 with dusky; all the under parts and rump white. 

 Are seen only in the south and midland districts, during 

 migration to and from their breeding places on the fells in 

 the very north. 



The egg of the whimbrel is smaller than that of the cur- 

 lew, which it rather resembles ; but I have seen the egg of 

 Kichardson's skua so like it, as to be scarcely distinguishable. 

 Three was the full number I ever took out of a nest on the 

 fells, but still they may lay four. My opinion, however, is 

 that the curlews and the godwits will often sit on less than 

 four eggs, whilst in every other genus of this family, the full 

 number of eggs is invariably four. 



