Tin: 



568 



skim aloii.: at :i low elevation, averaging alnmt fmn feet from the ground. 



se,ineMtl\ afford little mark. 



Sir \V. .laidine wiites as follows concerning the liadit.s of tin* Curlew : "They retired 



regularly inland after their favorite feeding p 1. ices were covered. A long and narrow 1. >!, ..f 



iix-ks MIIIS into I In- sea, behind w Inch we i.- concealed for the purpose of getting shots 



:it various s.-a fowl n-t iiniiiii; at -l>l>. None were BO regular as i h. ( 'ml. \\ Tin- mon-aiinalii- 



tn-ar tin- s.a ami <-iiiild |*M.-i\f the gradual i.-llux; tin- Curlws were far inland, l>ol :i* 



aawennild jH-rcHiv.- tlu- top of a sliarj) rcM'k standiiiic above water. \\,- were BiU'i- to 



petcei\e tip- lir^t tl.K-ks lea\e the laml. thus keeping j>a- regularly with the change of tides. 



Tlie\ tl\ in a dir--t lim- to their feding-Kroiiihls. and often in a wedgu Hlia|M5; n alarm 



a simiiltan i- .-i\ i- nti.-r.-.|, and the n.-\t coming ll(M-k turns from it- \ir-. uiiering in 



ie|-tition (lie same al:iiiii-not'. In a few duyH they l>ecomu so wary :us not. totlyo\.r the 

 .-..ii, .:,!. -.1 station." 



Tho breed inff-grounda of tho Curlew are more inland, the locality varying according to the 

 character of the distrirt. wild lu-ath and high hilly grounds being <-hos'n in S4me plactw, while 

 marshy and boggy soils are favoiv.1 in other,. The ni-st of this binl is very slight. In-iug only 

 a -mall heap of dry leaves or grasses Bcruped together under the shelter of a tuft of heather 

 or a biim-h of rank grass. There an- usually four eu'irs. placed, a.s i- Customary with such 

 birds, with their small ends together, anil U-inir much larger at one end than at the other. 

 Their color is brownish-green with some blotches ami splashes of dark brown ami a darker 

 en-en. The voutiirare curious little birds. 1. .11- legged, short-billed, covered with puffy down, 

 and with very little indications of either winirs or tail. 



The general coloring of the Curlew is brown, lighter u|xm the head and neck, and darker 

 ujMin the back, each feather N-iu^ darker in th> than on the edges. The njtjM-r tail 



coverts an- white streaked with brown, the smaller win- coverts are .-d^.-d with grayish white, 

 and the tail is gray-white barred with brown. The wings are black, and some of the ipiills 

 have white shafts. The chin is white, and tin- under iirts ore also white, but with a tinge of 



