COMMON CURLEW. 97 



clod of earth. In these situations Dixon has known the eggs to be broken 

 by the harrow, a nest having been dispensed with altogether. The nest 

 is very slight and shallow and about ten inches across ; it consists of a 

 little hollow, either one formed naturally or by the birds themselves, lined 

 with a few bits of herbage, a sprig or two of heath, or a few dead leaves or 

 bits of broken rush. In this simple nest the Curlew deposits her four eggs, 

 which are very large in proportion to the size of the bird. Four is the full 

 complement, but instances have been known where five have been found, 

 one of them being doubtless the produce of another female. They vary in 

 ground-colour from dark or light olive-green to brownish buff, spotted 

 and blotched with olive-brown and dark blackish brown, and with under- 

 lying markings of purplish grey. The markings are generally distributed 

 over the entire surface of the shell, but occasionally they form an 

 irregular zone round the large end ; and sometimes the spots are few in 

 number, large, bold, and unusually rich in colour. Sometimes a few 

 streaky lines of very dark brown, or a few minute specks of the same colour, 

 are seen amongst the other markings. The eggs vary considerably in shape, 

 some being much rounder than others, but they are usually pyriform; 

 they vary in length from 2'8 to 2*45 inch, and in breadth from 1'95 to 

 1*75 inch. The only eggs at all likely to be confused with the Curlew's 

 are those of the Whimbrel ; but the latter are readily distinguished by 

 their smaller size. Both birds appear to assist in the duties of incuba- 

 tion, but the female performs the greater share. Only one brood is reared 

 in the year ; but if the first eggs are taken, others, in many instances, are 

 laid. 



When the breeding-grounds of the Curlew are intruded upon, the old 

 birds often show great uneasiness, and are much tamer than at any 

 other time. Sometimes the sitting bird broods closely over her eggs, espe- 

 cially if they are nearly hatched, until the nest is closely approached, when 

 she scurries off through the rank herbage or heath, running for a short 

 distance ere taking wing. Early in the breeding-season, however, the 

 males usually signal the approach of danger to their brooding mates, 

 who at the sound of the warning cry rise from their charge to career wildly 

 about in the air until the cause of their alarm disappears. When the 

 young are hatched both the old birds are very anxious, and often fly closely 

 round an intruder's head. 



In autumn, when the young are strong upon the wing, the Curlews 

 again unite in flocks and retire to the coast for the winter : here they 

 frequent the sands and mud-flats at low water, retiring as the tide drives 

 them shorewards to the rocky points, islets, and higher ground, where they 

 wait the falling of the water again. Birds of the year do not breed, 

 and those which have survived the winter and its perils do not leave 

 their winter-quarters. Booth, speaking of the habits of the Curlew on 



VOL. III. H 



