26o THE GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL 



that migrate across Asia winter on the Mekran coast, India, 

 Ceylon, the Andaman Islands, Burma, the Malay Archipelago, 

 and Australia. 



Allied Forms. — Tringa fusdcoUis, and T. canutus with its 

 ally T. crassirostris, appear to be the most nearly allied species, 

 all of which are treated of elsewhere (see pp. 255, 266). 



Time during which the Curlew Sandpiper may be 

 taken. — August ist to March ist. 



Habits. — The Curlew Sandpiper is a late migrant, probably 

 because it only breeds in the high north. Great numbers of this 

 species cross the Straits of Gibraltar, and pass along other recog- 

 nised fly-lines in the Mediterranean district about the end of 

 April, travelling in small parties, sometimes in the company of 

 Knots and Dunlins, and these northern flights continue almost 

 unceasingly until the end of May. A few reach the British coasts 

 in April, but the majority pass in May, a few individuals lingering 

 behind the rest until early June. The southern flight begins in 

 August, chiefly of young birds, and continues through September 

 into October, by the end of which month most have continued 

 their journey south to Africa again. Whilst with us the Curlew 

 Sandpiper chiefly frequents the coast, although it sometimes visits 

 inland pools in the immediate neighbourhood, as well as the 

 marshes some distance from the sea. It loves the mud-banks 

 and wide open salt marshes, and is almost equally fond of 

 estuaries, but less so of sand-banks. Its habits differ little from 

 those of the Dunlin ; its flight is similar, and like that species it 

 feeds both by day and by night, especially during the period of a 

 full moon. During high water, like many other Waders, it 

 frequently retires to some inland meadow or field or swamp, and 

 there waits for the ebb. The note is said to be louder than that 

 of the Dunlin, and is described by Legge as being like that of the 

 Little Stint, only louder. Its food consists of crustaceans, small 

 worms, insects, mollusks, the roots of marsh plants, and probably 

 during summer of various ground fruits. 



Nidification. — Much less is known of the habits of the 

 Curlew Sandpiper during the breeding season than even of the 

 Knot ; and its eggs are entirely unknown to naturalists. Legge 

 observed a pair of these birds performing acts of courtship even 



