GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL. 183 



Allied Forms. — Numenius arquatus lineatus, an inhabitant 

 in summer of Siberia, in the west as far north as the Arctic Circle ; 

 but in the east only as far as Dauria and the southern valleys of the 

 Amoor, passing through Turkestan on passage and wintering in 

 India, Ceylon, Burma, and the Malay Archipelago, occasionally 

 straying to the eastern coast of Africa. The Eastern form of the 

 Common Curlew, only subspecifically distinct; none of the diag- 

 nostic characters constant, and intermediate forms very frequent. 

 Typical examples differ from the Common Curlew in having the 

 lower back uniform white without spots, the axillaries uniform 

 white, the margins of the scapulars white, and the bill seven to eight 

 inches in length. N. cyanopus, an inhabitant in summer of 

 East Siberia, passing the Amoor valley and the coasts of China 

 and Japan on migration, and wintering in Australia and Tasmania. 

 N. longirostris, an inhabitant in summer of temperate North 

 America ; and of Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies in 

 winter, though resident in some of the central districts. Both 

 these Curlews differ from the Common Curlew in the important 

 fact of having the rump uniform in colour with the rest of the 

 upper parts. The former bird in addition is characterised by its 

 nearly white axillaries, barred and streaked with brown. The 

 latter in addition is characterised by its uniform rich buff axillaries, 

 and nearly uniform buff underparts. 



Time during which the Curlew may be taken. — August 



ist to March ist (to March 15th in Essex). 



Habits. — The haunts of the Curlew vary considerably with 

 the change of season. This species is a resident in our islands, 

 although its numbers are increased during the colder periods of 

 the year by migrants from more northern latitudes. In summer, 

 however, it frequents inland moors and wild rough uplands ; in 

 winter it descends to the coast, and is then widely distributed on 

 all parts of the shore where sand, muds, and broken rocks are to 

 be found at low water. During high water in many localities the 

 birds retire inland to moors and pastures, returning with remark- 

 able punctuality as soon as the tide begins to ebb. In other 

 districts they visit shingle-banks and low islands to pass the time 

 between the tides. All the year round many parts of the coast 

 are never deserted altogether by Curlews, the young non-breeding 



