Limicolce 



217 



the north country generally. It is less common in 

 Orkney and Shetland, hardly occurs in the Fseroes or 

 Iceland, but is pretty abundant in northern and central 

 Europe and thence reaches western Asia, where it 

 meets a very similar ally. The Curlew is a streaky 

 brown bird with a white rump and an extremely long 

 decurved bill ; it has a prolonged melancholy cry, 



Curlew on nest 



easily recognised but hard to describe ; it feeds on 

 insects, worms, and so forth, as well as on berries from 

 the moors and marine animals from the shore ; the nest 

 is hardly more than a large shallow depression in the 

 heather or grass, and the four fine pear-shaped eggs are 

 olive-coloured or greenish with bold brown blotches or 

 smaller spots. 



