GRALLATORES. SCOLOPACID1E.
T H E COMMON CURLEW.
Numenms arquata, Common Curlew, P E N N .fB rT tv Z o o l . v o l . i i . p . 34-,
Scolopax ,, ,, ,, M ont. Qriiitb. Rict. - „ ,, The- -J- Tr, : Bewick, Brit. Bi$h"W)l. ii. p; 38.
Numenius Common ,,. F lem. Brit. An.-j>i l-Oife-.dS >> Selby, Brit. Omith. vol. ii. p. 62.
» r. Jenyns, Brit. Vert. p. 19f>,
GauxDj Birds of Europe, pt. xiv. >* „ Grand Couflis cendrS, Temm. Man. d’Ornith, yoL ii. p. 603.
N umenitts. Generic Cfiaraofm.-^-Beak long-, slender, curved and compressed,
the point hard and slightly bent; upper mandible rather longer than
the lower, rounded near the. end-and grooved along three fourths of its whole
length. Nostrils lateral, linear, pierced in the groove. Face and lore covered
with feathers. Legs rather long, slender, tibia partly naked; three toes in
front, one behind ; the toes in front united by a membrane as far as the first
articulation ; the hind toe articulated upon the tarsus and touching the ground.
Wings moderate, the first quill feather the longest in the wing.
T h e Curlew is ,so- common a bird as to be well known on
almost every part of our coast, where it obtains a living from
the middlft^frautumn, through the winter, till the pairing
season, of the following spring. I t frequents the sea-shore
and its^e^tenstge.! sandy flats during the ebb tide, seeking for
small Crustacea, marine insects, Worms, &c-., with which to
Tsatisfy.its: hunger, retiring to open fields,in the vicinity when
the rising tide covers the feeding ground. ' Sir William Jar-
dine..has? described from personal observation the habits of
fthesS, birds ".on the .Solway.., They retired;, regularly inland
after ith^iai favourite feeding places were covered. A long
and marrow ledge of frocks runs into the Frith, behind which
We used to lie conpeal'edjt for-.the purpose of getting shots at
wamous- searfo^ldreturning at ebb. None were so regular as
thes-Curlew.,., The m@|%iaquat'ic were near the sea,, and could
■plefceive the^ gradual- refllux; th*§J Curlews were, far inland, but
as ioomas we c o u l d a sharp reek standing
abov^water-; 'v^|^5@r1%ssure to> perceive' ‘the first flocks leave
the land, thus: ke,eping;.pace regularly with the change of the
tidies-. Theiyr fly in a direct, line* Igo-. their, feeding grounds*
andpften in,a ; ©n.alhrm-, a simultaneous cry is
uttered, „and the next coming flock turns from its course,,
uttering in repetition the' $ame alarm, note. In a few days;,
.they- become so^waryi'as not to fly over the concealed station.
Theycajre one of the most difficult birds to approach, except
■during* spring, but may bet enticed by imitating their whistle.”
One cry peculiar to the Curiew^ sounds like corlieu or courlie;
whence its English and French name^, i
Early in April' thpr Curlews begin to retire from the coast
and seek the breeding; grounds. Mr«. Selby feels assured
from observations' he has; been able to make, that this move