COMMON CURLEW. 173 



indescribable brilliance and variety of the metallic glosses, 

 which more resemble those upon the wing-cases of the finer 

 beetles, than anything usual among the feathered tribes. 

 The feathers on the sides and top of the head are rich 

 greenish-black, with metallic reflections of purple ; the lower 

 part of the back, the tail, the scapulars, the coverts, and 

 wings, are of the same tint but greener, and with exqui- 

 sitely brilliant and varied reflections of purple-green and 

 gold colour.; the neck, upper part of the back, ridges of the 

 wings, and all the under parts of the body, are rich purplish 

 brown. The bill is long, and though slender in the distal 

 half of its length, it is a well-formed and powerful organ. 

 The feet are adapted for walking upon soft surfaces. These 

 birds follow the line of periodical inundation ; and during the 

 summer range as far to the northward as those countries 

 where the summer inundations are produced by the melting 

 of the snow. They are generally social in their habits, and 

 migrate in flocks. 



CURLEW (Numenius). 



There are two British species of curlew, the common 

 curlew and the whimbrel, and both of them are permanently 

 resident in the country, although they shift their ground 

 within it according to the seasons. Both species, when in 

 good condition, are very palatable and wholesome food. 



COMMON CURLEW (Numenius arquatus). 



A figure of this bird is given on the plate at page 151, 

 about one-twelfth of the lineal dimensions of nature; but 

 curlews are subject to much variation both in size and in 

 weight. The greatest length is about eighteen inches exclu- 

 sive of the bill, which is between six and seven, and the 

 extent of the wings about three feet. 



Curlews are very common birds, visiting all the flat and 



