iq6 Notes and Comments. 



reckoned from mean sea-level at Dunbar, near the mouth of 

 the Forth, and a line of these permanent ' bench marks ' 

 now runs from the South Coast of England, at intervals of 

 thirty miles, to Whittingehame, about five miles west of 

 Dunbar. Subsidiary ' bench marks ' radiating from this 

 main line of levels will eventually supply the whole country. 

 A very accurate tidal guage has been erected at Dunbar, and 

 similar instruments have been placed at Newlyn and Felix- 

 stowe, and from these three stations the mean tide-levels 

 of the sea will in future be taken. 



IS THE CURLEW A RESIDENT BRITISH BIRD ? 



It has hitherto been universally acknowledged that the 

 Curlew is a resident in the British Isles, breeding upon the 

 moorland and wintering on the coast. In The Field, for 

 April 2nd, Mr. Abel Chapman combats this idea, and states 

 that the Curlew is not a resident, but a summer and winter 

 visitor. The breeding birds arrive on the moors in February, 

 often during the first week, but generally about the middle of 

 the month ; in severe winters they do not arrive until some- 

 time in March. These new arrivals show every sign of being 

 very tired after their long flight from their southern quarters, 

 and take a week or more to settle down. When the breeding 

 season is over, generally in July, the birds leave the moors 

 for the coast, where they spend a month or so undergoing 

 their autumnal moult (August-September). As soon as this is 

 complete they depart for their southern quarters ; this occurs 

 in September. There is then an interval (when Curlews are 

 practically absent) between the departure of the home- 

 bred birds and the arrival of the main body of foreigners 

 which winter here. 



SIZES OF CURLEW. 



An extensive movement takes place in October, when the 

 coast ' fills up ' for the winter. These winter residents stay 

 until the end of May, when they depart for their northern 

 breeding grounds. According to Mr. Chapman, these birds 

 are small in size, averaging 26 oz. to 28 oz., with beaks 4I to 

 5 inches in length, whereas our home breeding birds turn the 

 scale at 40 oz. and have beaks 7 inches in length. Mr. 

 Chapman is such a fine ' field ' naturalist that any views he 

 propounds 'carry conviction. Our reason for drawing attention 

 to his views is to suggest that all young Curlews our Yorkshire 

 members come across should be ringed ; it might then 

 be possible to trace their movements and settle this question 

 definitely, although I feel sure Mr. Chapman's ideas may be 

 the right ones. On the moors round Harrogate, Curlews do not 

 arrive in February', they come in March, and winter weather 

 will drive both them and the Golden Plover into the lowland 

 pastures, where they remain until conditions alter. — R.F. 



Naturalist 



