AUSTRALIAN CURLEW. 
mangrove scrub waiting for the water to recede, at which time they pounce 
down upon the crabs, hooking them out of holes with their long bills, which 
seem specially adapted for this purpose. I have made very careful observa- 
tions and inquiries as to their time of departure, and I should fix it as between 
March and June, but several reliable boatmen state that a few winter with 
us, and odd birds are always to be seen about Western Port Bay.”* 
Schrenck says he found a young bird on 11 (23) July, 1856, on the South 
Amur between the mouths of the Ussuri and Ssungari near the village of 
Sselgako, which he considered had bred either on the Amur itself or to the 
North of it. 
Radde reports that he shot four adult birds on June 7 (19), near the 
mouth of the Kumara. They lived on the fiat shore of the island, which was 
partly covered by shingle and sand, which was left dry at low tide. 
After he had passed the mouth of the Kumara and come into the wider 
valley of the Amur, where flat sand-shores become more abundant, 
he frequently found this species. In spite of the lateness of the season (the 
middle of June) the birds were not preparing for breeding. They lived in 
flocks on the open shores. They were sometimes noticed flying in the wedge- 
shaped flocks. On April 10th, 1858, this species was observed in plains above 
the Bureja Mountains. 
He also includes in this species the Curlew which is very common in 
spring and autumn on the Tarei-nor. Here it first appeared on April the 
19th, was numerous on the 25th, and on the 29th was going North. On the 
26th June flocks of the Curlew were observed between Kulussutajefsk and the 
new fortress at Tschindantsk, they were, however, so unusually shy that he 
could not get within gunshot of them. On the 22nd August, they were seen 
going south. 
The bird figured and described is a female, collected at Cooktown bn 
December 27th, 1899, by Olive and presented to me by Mr. H. C. Robinson. 
This bird is described in the Index Ornith. Suppl, p. 306, 1801, by Latham, 
as follows : — 
“ Common Curlew var. — ^A Bird of this kind has been brought from New 
Holland', it seems to differ chiefly in having the bill considerably larger in 
proportion, and the ground colour of the plumage dull ferruginous, instead of 
brown ; bill black ; irides yellow ; legs dull blue.” 
No Latin name seems to have been imposed by Latham, so that when 
VieiUot monographed the genus, he introduced Numenius cyanopus for the 
preceding ; writing : “ Numenius arquatus, Var., Lath., ne peut etre une variete 
de notre courlis, puisqu’il a les pieds bleus ; le bee noir et considerablement 
* Shepherd, in CamphelVs Nests and Eggs Ausir. Birds, p. 805, 1901. 
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