804 NUMENIUS 



Hob. Europe generally, north nearly to the Arctic Circle in 

 summer ; on migration and in winter south to the Cape Colony 

 in South Africa; Madagascar; Asia, east to Dauria, and has 

 occurred in Japan ; Mongolia ; China ; Burma, India, Ceylon, 

 the Andamans, Nicobars, and Laccadives in winter. 



Frequents moors and open plains during the summer and 

 open flats on the coasts in winter, and is one of the most 

 cautious and wary birds. It feeds on worms, snails, insects of 

 various kinds, and berries, and in winter on marine animals 

 and crustaceans. Its note is a loud, weird, uncanny cry, which 

 it utters directly it takes flight on the approach of an intruder. 

 It breeds on the moors or in marshy places, the nest being a 

 mere depression on a tussock, scantily lined, and the eggs, 4 

 in number, are usually deposited from early in April to late in 

 May, and vary from light greenish fco dark olivaceous in ground- 

 colour, and are marked with purplish brown shell-markings 

 and dark umber-brown surface spots and blotches ; in size they 

 measure about 2 <I 72 by 1*84. 



1108. AUSTRALIAN CURLEW. 

 NUMENIUS CYANOPUS. 



Numenius cyanopus, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. viii. p. 306 (1817) ; Seebohm, 

 B. Jap. Erap. p. 315 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxiv. p. 350 ; Tacz. 

 F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 940 ; N. australis^ Gould, P.Z.S. 1837, p. 155 ; 

 id. B. of Austr. vi. pi. 42 ; N. major (nee. Steph.), Temm. and 

 Schlegel, Faun. Jap. Aves, pi. 66 ; N. tahitiensis (nee. Gmel.) r 

 Swinhoe, P.Z.S. 1871, p. 410 ; Eidgway, p. 171 ; Darid and Oust. 

 Ois. Chine, p. 458. 



ad. (China). Differs from N. arquatus in having the rump and 

 upper tail- coverts conspicuously marked with brown, and the upper and 

 under parts washed with warm vinous buff or rufous buff ; under wing- 

 coverts and axillaries broadly barred with blackish brown. Culmen 7*8,. 

 wing 13'0, tail 5'4, tarsus 3'3 inch. 



Hob. Eastern Siberia, north to Kamchatka ; Japan, Corea, 

 and China ; passing the winter as far south as Australia ; of 

 rare occurrence in Alaska. 



It is said not to differ from our European Curlew in its 

 general habits. Nothing, however, appears to be known 

 respecting its nidification. 



