BY COLONEL W. V. LEGGE, E.A., F.ZS. 135 



As regards our Curlew, IST. Cyan opus, ou arriving in Tas- 

 mania in September some specimens have the buff" tinge of the 

 breeding season still remaining on the breast and flanks, and 

 accompanying this is a rufescent hue on the longer upper tail 

 coverts and central tail feathers. This species no doubt varies 

 in size, length of wing and length of bill, as much as its 

 congeners. But, unfortunately, I have not yet got together 

 a series of specimens, and cannot give much information on 

 the subject. A pair shot in Ralph's Bay, by my son, on the 

 14th September, measured as follows : — 



$ Length, 24-75 in.; wing, 12-25; expanse, 42-0; tarsus, 

 3*5; bill along culmen, 6.9. Length, 22-0 in.; wing, 11-1; 

 tarsus, 3-4; bill along culmen 5-5. In both, the legs were 

 bluish grey, with the toes darkish ; iris^ very deep brown ; 

 bill, dark brown ; tip, blackish ; base beneath, fleshy reddish. 



Geographical Distribufion. — Although the Australian Curlew 

 is a migratory species, breeding in northern climates in 

 summer and " wintering " here in our summer, many seem to 

 remain throughout the year with us. This is a common 

 feature in the economy of the Waders. I have found several 

 species of well-known "northern breeders" remaining in 

 Ceylon in considerable numbers in the cool season, but not to 

 breed ; and thuugh our Curlew remains with us in the winter 

 it is impropable that it breeds here. 



It migrates north through the Malay Archipelago, being 

 there met with on passage in Borneo, New Guinea, the 

 Philippines and other islands ; thence northward along the 

 coast of China to Amoor Land, and up to Lake Baikal, in 

 which region it is supposed to breed. In Japan, it has been 

 met with as far north as Hakodadi. According to Buller it 

 only occurs sparingly in New Zealand ; but nevertheless seems 

 to remain there in winter. New Zealand is probably its 

 eastern limit ; for farther east it is replaced by the oceanic 

 species, N. femoralis, with curiously formed tibial feathers, 

 and which occurs in the Marquesas Islands. Eamsay records 

 our bird from all the Australian Colonies. 



following the principle advocated here, that the Asiatic 

 Curlew, N. Lineata, is distinct from the European bird, we have 

 the range of the former across the continent to China, down the 

 peninsula of India to Ceylon, and likewise southwards from 

 China to the Malay islands, where it has been procured in Java, 

 Sumatra, and Borneo. The same form of bird is known to 

 migrate down the east coast of Africa,, and Layard records it as 

 a resident in South Africa. 



Its range would appear to be over-lapped, so to speak, by 

 that of the Australian Curlew in Amoor Land and Jacan, the 

 present bird not being found north of the south-eastern part of 



