25.4 THE COMMON CURLEW. 



these several intermediates, we now come to the 

 Curlew, a well-known bird of our pastoral districts 

 and sub-alpine heaths. It is a frequent inhabit-' 

 ant of Scotland, where in the north, even to Shet- 

 land and the Orkneys, it breeds. Its European 

 range is northward, Norway, Sweden, the Feroe 

 Islands, and Iceland. Curlews are known in China, 

 in the south of Africa, and in the East. 



The generic characters of the family are remark- 

 able : " Bill very long, slender, slightly compressed, 

 curved, the tip nearly round, hard, the mandible pro- 

 jecting over the maxilla ; nostrils linear, lateral ; face 

 feathered ; wings rather long, pointed, spurious quill 

 rigid ; legs proportionally, of middle length ; tibice bare 

 for some length above the tarsal joint; feet rather 

 small ; toes before connected by a basal membrane ; 

 hallux articulated above the plane of the others." 



The curlew breeds inland, and resorts to the 

 maritime coasts in the cold season. The curlew's 

 scream, or shrill whistle, is, perhaps, better known 

 than most of the calls of the aquatic birds. They are 

 a noisy, brave, and somewhat pugnacious tribe. When 

 the breeding season has commenced, the heath, or 

 moor, or sheep-walk, is alive with these creatures 

 ere the first faint streak of dawn has broadened in 

 colour ; and here, clamorous with the gladness of the 

 period, the males rise upon the wing, uttering their 

 singular note, and whirl along in sweeping line, 

 slowly and stately, while undisturbed. At any intru- 

 sion, they boldly fly before the face of the stranger, 



