136 
CURLEW- 
approached, they hide themselves among the inequalities of 
the ground, and lie very close, the old birds endeavouring 
the while to attract the enemy away. 
These birds vary very considerably in size, as well as in 
shades of their plumage. Male; weight, twenty to twenty-two 
ounces, and upwards; length, one foot nine inches. Bill, dark 
brown, except the inner part of the lower one, which is paler, 
shading into yellowish red. It varies considerably in length'— 
to six or seven inches. Iris, dark brown. Head, crown, neck 
on the back, and nape, pale yellowish grey brown, each feather 
streaked longitudinally with darker, the dark mark widest at 
the base; chin, white; throat, pale yellowish cream grey brown, 
streaked longitudinally with darker brown; breast above, 
yellowish brown; below, white, with spot-like streaks of dark 
brown. Back above, light dusky brownish black, slightly 
glossed with purple, with pale brown or greyish or yellowish 
white edges to the feathers; the lower part white, with the 
shafts of the feathers forming marked streaks. 
The wings have the first quill feather the longest; the axillary 
feathers are barred, and sometimes clouded with brown. 
Greater wing coverts, black; lesser wing coverts, blackish 
brown, with almost white edges, and running into bars on the 
inner webs. The first five primaries, brownish black, glossed 
with purple, and with white shafts. The outer webs much 
darker than the inner ones, which are barred half across 
with white. Secondaries and tertiaries, blackish brown in the 
centre, and crossed transversely on the edges with dark and 
light brown. Tail, ‘barry ? of dark brown and dull yellowish 
white, the edges of the bars irregular, and often clouded and 
tinted with reddish white. Upper tail coverts, white, with a 
narrowed streak of dark brown towards the end; under tail 
coverts, white, with an occasional dusky streak. Legs and 
toes, pale bluish grey, or greenish lead-colour; the latter have 
a membranous edging on each side down to the claws. 
Female; weight in some specimens as much as thirty-seven 
ounces. Length, from two feet one to two feet two inches. 
The young are at first covered with yellowish white down, 
varied with spots and patches of brown. 
