THE ESQUIMAUX CURLEW IN SCOTLAND. 267 



where they are replaced by others, which, though closely allied to those of 

 the Old World, are specifically distinct from them. This remai-k indeed 

 applies to many other species ; such as, for example, the Great Northern 

 Shrike of America, (Lanius borealis,) Avliich is distinct from our British one, 

 the Gray Shrike {L. exeubitor.) Our common species are the Curlews, by 

 pre-eminence, (Numenius arquatus,) and the Whimbrel (A\ phceopus) ; which 

 measure about twenty-two and eighteen inches respectively. Two of the 

 principal New World species, ai-e the Hudson's Bay Curlew, (N. Hudsonicus,) 

 which greatly resembles our Whimbrel, — one of the most obvious distinctions 

 being, its want of a white patch on the rump ; and the present species, which 

 is considerably smaller-. It may be mentioned, that Pennant, in his " Arctic 

 Zoology," includes the two most common species of Europe, in his Kams- 

 chatkan birds ; and that the venerable Latham, when acting as annotator to 

 one of the editions of the same author's " British Zoology," in speaking of 

 the Curlew, observes, " A slight variety of it also inhabits America." Right 

 or wrong, these views do not appear to coincide with the commonly-received 

 opinion of the present day ; although now, that Dr. Cai'penter is about to 

 enter the field, and dispute the claims of hundreds of species to be species 

 at all, it would be difiicult to detei-mine how matters may be regarded by the 

 race of ornithologists now in the nursery. 



Between our Curlews, and the one now for the first time added to the list, 

 there is a marked " family likeness," notwithstanding the difference in size. 

 The bill is brownish-black, the basal portion of the low^er mandible flesh- 

 coloured, which gradually passes into the darker hue ; irides dark brown ; 

 sides of head yellowish-brown, with brown streaks ; upper part of the head 

 brownish-black, edged with reddish-brown ; neck considerably lighter, edged 

 with dull white ; upper parts blackish-brown, with light edges ; primary 

 quills dusky brown, the first four shafts white, the others becoming darker 

 till they pass at length into pale browTi ; secondaries lighter ; rump dark 

 brown, with light edges ; upper tail coverts barred with dark and light 

 shades; the tail composed of twelve feathers, ash gray, Avith dark brown 

 bars, edged and tipt with brownish white Throat, and a streak over the 

 eye, nearly white ; foreneck light brown, with small longitudinal liver-brown 

 markings ; under wing coverts chesnut, with irregular brown markings ; 

 breast and abdomen yellowish-gray, tinged with brown ; the shafts of each 

 feather brown, gradually disappearing downwards ; the former with, the 

 latter without, dark markings ; feet dark green. The dimensions agree most 

 exactly with those in the works of Audubon and Swainson. They are — length, 

 approximate, fully fourteen inches ; extent of wings twenty-eight inches ; bill 

 two inches three lines ; tarsus one inch ten lines ; middle toe almost an inch, 

 its claw about three lines. 



This Curlew is a most interesting addition to the score or so of birds with 

 which our Fauna has been enriched from America, and is the fourth or fifth 



