352 THE CURLEW. 



among the loose rocks and shallow pits left by the retiring tide. 

 Their summer residence is upon the heathy, mountainous, boggy 

 moors, where their food consists of worms, slugs, flies, and in- 

 sects, which their long bills enable them to pick out of the soft 

 mossy earth, and here they breed. The female (which is rather 

 bigger, but whose plumage is nearly like the male's) makes her 

 nest upon the ground, in a dry tuft of rushes or grass, of such 

 withered materials as are found near, and in April lay four eggs, 

 of a pale olive colour, marked with brownish spots. These birds 

 vary much in size, as well as in the different shades of their 

 feathers, some of them weighing not more than twenty -two, and 

 others thirty -seven ounces. In some, the white parts of the 

 plumage are clearer than in others, which are more uniformly 

 grey, and tinged with pale brown : they utter a very shrill cry, 

 that may be heard at a considerable distance. 



The common length of the curlew is two feet, and from tip 

 to tip from three feet to forty inches ; the bill is about seven 

 inches long, of a regular curve, and tender substance at the 

 point ; the tongue sharp, and very short, extending not further 

 than the angle of the lower chap ; the upper mandible is black, 

 gradually softening into brown towards the base, which of the 

 under mandible is flesh coloured ; the feathers of the head, neck, 

 upper part of the back and wing coverts, are of a pale brown ; 

 the middle of each feather black, edged and deeply indented 

 with pale rust colour, or light grey ; the breast, belly, and lower 

 part of the back, dull white, marked with conjunct lines of black, 

 the two former with oblong strokes more thickly set : quills 

 black, spotted on the inner webs with white; tail reddish white, 

 barred with black ; the legs are bare a little above the knees, of 

 a dusky blueish colour ; the toes are thick, and flat on the under- 

 side. The curlew flies swiftly. The flesh of the curlew has 

 been characterised as being very good, and of a fine flavour ; by 

 others the direct reverse has been maintained. The truth is, 



