CHARADRIID.E NUMENIUS 387 



on both webs ; rump and upper tail-coverts white, a few longitudinal 

 streaks of brown on the latter ; tail white with from eight to ten 

 transverse bars of brown ; below white, the sides of the faee, neck 

 and breast with narrow shaft-marks of brown, the chin, axillaries, 

 under wing- and tail-coverts plain. 



Iris brown ; bill brown shading to black towards the tip ; legs 

 and feet leaden-grey. 



Length about 23*5 ; wing 11-0 ; tail 4-25 ; culmen 5 - 25 ; tarsus 

 3'6 ; another specimen also sexed as a male has the culmen 6*5. 



The female is larger than the male, and has, as a rule, a longer 

 bill. In breeding-plumage the birds are darker and more heavily 

 striped throughout. 



Distribution. The Curlew is found throughout Northern 

 Europe and Asia from Ireland to Lake Baikal during the nor- 

 thern summer ; although some birds remain in the north all the 

 year round, the bulk of them migrate southwards to Africa and 

 India during the northern winter. During this season it is found 

 all over Africa from the Mediterranean to the Cape, and is also a 

 visitor to Madagascar, the Canaries and Azores. 



In South Africa the Curlew is found more commonly along the 

 coast and is rarer inland ; although it has never yet been observed 

 breeding in southern latitudes a few individuals undoubtedly remain 

 here all through the year. 



The following are recorded localities : Cape Colony Port Nol- 

 loth, December (S. A. Mus.), September (Stark), Cape division, 

 August, October (S. A. Mus.), Knysna, February (Stark), March, 

 June (Victorin), Port Elizabeth and East London (Eickard) ; Natal 

 Durban, March (Seebohm), Newcastle, September, October 

 (Butler) ; Transvaal Potchefstroom (Barratt), Modderfontein, near 

 Johannesburg, rare (Haagner) ; German South-west Africa 

 Walvisch Bay (Andersson) ; Portuguese East Africa Zambesi, 

 October (Alexander). 



Habits. The Curlew is a well-known English bird, and in 

 South Africa it appears to have much the same habits as in 

 England ; it is usually seen in small flocks about flat marshy 

 ground and along the open sea-beach ; here it searches for its food 

 which consists of marine insects, Crustacea and worms ; it is very 

 wary and shy and seldom allows itself to be approached within 

 gunshot ; it also swims well according to Andersson though not by 

 choice ; it is fat and very good eating at times. 



As already stated it has not yet been known to breed in South 



