CURLEW SANDPIPER. 53 



specimens from Tangiers, where, however, they are said to 

 be rare. It inhabits other parts of North Africa, going as 

 far south as Senegal and even to the Cape. It is found at 

 Corfu, is very numerous in Sicily from October to AprH, 

 and is seen at Malta on its passage in spring and autumn. 

 The Zoological Society have also received examples of this 

 bird sent by Messrs. Dickson and Ross from Erzeroum, 

 and M. Temminck says that it inhabits the islands of the 

 Indian Archipelago ; Mr. Blyth has obtained it in India. 



This species breeds in high northern latitudes in North 

 America; and according to Mr. Audubon goes as far south 

 as Florida in winter. They feed on insects, small Crustacea, 

 and worms, which they obtain by probing in the soft sand 

 at the edge of the water. 



The Curlew Sandpiper in its summer plumage has the 

 beak nearly black ; the irides brown ; the head and neck 

 all round reddish chestnut, slightly varied with small 

 streaks of black and white ; the back, scapulars, small 

 wing-coverts, and tertials, nearly black, each feather edged 

 with reddish chestnut ; the greater wing-coverts ash brown, 

 edged with greyish white ; primary and secondary quill- 

 feathers nearly black, with white shafts ; rump and upper 

 tail-coverts white, with a few dark spots : tail-feathers ash 

 colour, with white shafts ; breast and belly reddish chestnut, 

 indistinctly barred transversely with lines of black ; axillary 

 plume white ; vent, flanks, and under tail-coverts, reddish 

 white, barred and spotted with black ; under surface of 

 tail-feathers greyish white ; legs and toes greenish black. 

 The whole length is about eight inches and a quarter ; the 

 females are rather larger than males : the wing from the 

 carpal joint to the end of the first feather, which is the 

 longest, five inches. 



In autumn the under surface of the body of an adult bird 

 is a mixture of white and pale red in patches, and the dark 



