THE COMMON CURLEW. 663 



tail-feathers as adult but narrower, more closely barred, and 

 clouded buff ; wing as adult but innermost secondaries and coverts 

 -as scapulars ; sometimes white notches of greater coverts suffused 

 buff ; median coverts with sepia centres tapering to a point and 

 more or less indented by broad warm buff edges ; lesser coverts 

 .sepia, edged warm buff. 



First winter. — As adult and only to be distinguished by worn 

 juvenile tail-feathers and worn juvenile innermost secondaries with 

 buff notches more or less abraded, sepia wing-coverts with faded 

 l)uff edges, innermost median coverts notched and edged at sides 

 •of feathers warm buff. The juvenile body-feathers (not lowest 

 scapulars), sometimes 3 central pair of tail-feathers, sometimes no 

 tail-feathers, sometimes some innermost secondaries and their 

 -co verts, some median and lesser coverts are moulted Aug. to Dec. 

 First summer. — As adult and only to be distinguished by worn 

 juvenile tail-feathers, one or two innermost secondaries and juvenile 

 median and lesser coverts. Moult apparently as adult, but tail 

 does not appear usually to be moulted, though sometimes central 

 pair is moulted. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 280-303 mm., tail 106- 

 121, tarsus 66-80, bill from feathers 100-124 (12 measured). $ wing 

 .295-321, bill from feathers 130-152. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd 

 longest, 3rd 3-11 mm. shorter, 4th 14-21 shorter, 5th 30-38 shorter, 

 6th 46-58 shorter. Longest inner secondary between 4th and 5th 

 primaries. Tail slightly rounded. Bill long, tapering and consider- 

 ably decurved, tip of culmen obtuse and thickened, with a groove 

 on its under surface into which lower mandible fits ; nasal groove 

 extends to about three-fourths length of culmen, similar groove 

 in lower mandible to about half length of bill. Legs long, tibia 

 and proximal portion of tarsus covered with hexagonal scales ; 

 distal portion of tarsus in front covered with more or less regular 

 scutes. Four toes, middle and outer ones webbed at base up to 

 about 1st joint, middle and inner ones to below first joint, webs 

 continued as marginal flaps of skin up both sides of middle toe and 

 inner sides of other toes up to base of nail ; inner edge of middle 

 toe dilated. 



Soft parts. — Bill dark horn, tinged reddish, under mandible 

 flesh-pink at base ; legs and feet greenish-grey ; iris brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — N. a. lineatus (Siberia) has 

 upper-parts lighter, under -parts more narrowly streaked, back 

 and rump almost white, axillaries and under wing-coverts white. 

 For distinctions from N. phceopus and N. tenuirostris see under 

 those species. Large size, long decurved bill distinguish Curlew 

 from other waders. 



Field-characters. — Curlew and Whimbrel are unique among 

 British birds in their long, decurved bills ; large size, robust build, 

 and striated brown plumage with triangular white patch on rump 

 are also diagnostic. Curlew is larger and coarser, has no distinctive 



