BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 315 



THE Common Avocet (Recuruirostra avocetta, Linnaeus) 

 is a rare spring and autumn migrant to the British Isles, 

 and inhabits the Southern Palearctic Region and Ethiopian 

 Region. The adult has the cheeks and neck, and rest of 

 plumage, white, with the exception of the head, nape, most 

 part of hind neck, outer scapulars, middle wing-coverts, and 

 primaries, which are black; irides, chestnut -brown; bill, 

 black; legs and feet, pale blue. Length, about eighteen 

 inches. The adult female resembles the adult male, but 

 the colours are duller. The young have the black parts of 

 the plumage washed with brown and margined with rusty. 



COMMON CURLEW. 



THE Common Curlew (Numenius arquatus, Linnaeus) is 

 a resident bird in the British Isles, moving about locally 

 according to climatic conditions. It is found in summer 

 in Northern Europe, and occurs during winter in Africa. 

 The adult in nuptial dress has the prevailing colour of the 

 upper parts pale brown ; wing-coverts, dull white ; centre of 

 feathers, dark brown ; primaries, blackish ; lower back and 

 rump, white, with bold spots of blackish; feathers of tail, 

 dull white, barred with dark brown ; lower parts, light 

 brown ; abdomen, whitish, and streaked with brown; flanks, 

 streaked, shaded, and barred with brown; irides, hazel; bill, 

 dark brown, paler at base ; legs and feet, slate-grey. Length, 

 about twenty inches. The female is larger than the male ; 

 the bill is also longer. The young in first plumage are very 

 similar to adults, but show more rufous, and the markings 

 beneath are more profuse. (P. 316.) 



