THE CURLEW TRINGA. 199 



they could have been stragglers, hatched in another part of 

 the world, and wafted to our shores by the winds. It does 

 not, from the accounts, appear to be very numerous any- 

 where, though more abundant on the continent of Europe 

 than with us ; but still we have so unequivocal evidence of 

 the fact, that we cannot for a moment doubt that it is at 

 least occasionally hatched in the country, 



Its characters, independently of colour and size, which are 

 not very certain data, are well marked. Its size and weight 

 are about the same as those of the purple species, and in the 

 winter state of its plumage it resembles the purre ; but its 

 legs are longer, more slender, bare to a considerable distance 

 above the tarsal joints ; and its bill is a quarter of an inch 

 longer, and curved something in the same manner as that 

 of the curlew, from which it has obtained the trivial name of 

 that bird. The bill and feet are black. It has altogether more 

 the character of a wading bird than most others of the genus. 



In winter, the forehead, streak over the eye, and throat, 

 are white, more or less tinged with rusty brown, according 

 to the season ; the crown, nape, and back, black or dusky, 

 vith more or less of rusty brown on the margins of the 

 feathers. The breast pale cream-colour, and the rest of the 

 under parts white, with few or no streaks on the flanks. 

 The tail slightly wedge-shaped, of a brown ash colour, the 

 shafts streaked, and the webs tipped with white. The quills 

 dusky, with pale margins to their inner webs, the upper tail- 

 coverts white, with pale dusky bars. The feet and bill at 

 that season have a bluish tinge. 



In the summer, the white on the head is replaced by dusky 

 ash, the cream colour on the breast by reddish brown, with 

 some dusky spots, and brown and dusky spots on the flanks, 

 and bars of the same on the under tail-coverts. The black 

 on the upper part becomes more intense, and the margins 

 of the feathers redder and mixed with black. The changes 



