OF THE BRITISH ISIiANDS. 189 



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 

 migration and wintering in India, Ceylon, Burmah, and the Malay Archipelago, 

 abnormally wandering to the eastern coast of Africa. It is the eastern form 

 of the Common Curlew, only subspecifically distinct ; none of the diagnostic 

 characters being constant, and with 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. Another set of individuals of 

 this species appear to migrate south from a base in the Intertropical realm, to 

 breed in South Australia and Tasmania, although the nest has not yet been 

 discovered in these latter areas. 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 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. 



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, mud, 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 remarkable 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 birds it is said not 

 visiting the breeding grounds, but remaining behind in the usual winter haunts. 

 Curlews are the very essence of wariness, the shyest and the easiest alarmed 

 birds upon the coast, and perhaps the most difficult to stalk. On bare ground it 

 is simply impossible to get near them, and the only way to make a successful 

 shot is to station oneself on their usual line of flight, and take one's chance as 

 they fly over on their way to and from their feeding grounds. Sometimes odd 

 birds may be successfully stalked whilst feeding amongst the rocks at low water, 

 but the process is a rough and tedious one, and the gunner may well be proud of 



