SCOLOPACID^ — THE SNIPE FAMILY — NUMENIUS. 323 



superciliary stripe abov^e it ; remainder of the head, neck, and lower parts generally, bufiy white, 

 the chin and throat, abdomen, thighs, and anal region, more nearly white and immaculate ; cheeks, 

 neck (all round), jugulum, and breast, distinctly streaked witli brown ; sides irregularly marked 

 with the same ; axillars white, barred with brown. Back and wings grayish brown, irregularly 

 spotted with ligliter ; primaries dusky, the inner quills slightly spotted. Entire rump immaculate 

 white ; upper tail-coverts white, barred with brown. Tail brownish gray, barred with dusky, and 

 tipped with white. 



Wing, 9.30-10.50 ; culmen, 3.00-3.60 ; tarsus, 2.30-2.50 ; middle toe, 1.40. 



This species bears a strong superficial resemblance to N. Hudsonicus, but may be immediately 

 distinguished by the pure white, unspotted, rump. 



The "Whimbrel," "Whimbrel Curlew," " Half-Cui-lew," or ^' Jack Curlew " — as it 

 is variously called in different parts of Great Britain — is of occasional occurrence in 

 Greenland, and claims a place in oiu" fauna exclusively on that ground. It is found 

 throughout jSTorthern Europe and Asia in its breeding-season, and during the re- 

 mainder of the year is of uncertain appearance in various portions of the Old World, 

 including Japan and other islands. In all respects, of plumage, haunts, habits, and 

 food, the Whimbrel very closely resembles the Common European Curlew, but is 

 much smaller in size, and nowhere occurs in such numbers. It is met with occasion- 

 ally on the shores of Great Britain during the Avinter, but is much more plentiful 

 there in May, and again in September. The larger portion of these birds are migra- 

 tory, either on their w^ay to more northern regions, where they breed, or returning 

 from the north wdth their young brood. Only a few breed within the limits of Great 

 Britain, and these almost exclusively in the islands north of Scotland. 



According to Thompson this bird is only seen in Ireland in the spring and in the 

 autumn, and at these periods it is also common on the Grampians and in other ele- 

 vated districts of Scotland. Mr. Selby mentions meeting with this species in the 

 summer of 1834 on the margin of Loch Shin, in Sutherlandshire. Mr. Salmon found 

 it breeding among the Orkney Islands, and states that it nests very early, all its 

 eggs having been hatched by the 3d of June. Yarrell states, on the authority of 

 Dr. Fleming, that this bird also breeds in Shetland, where it is known as the " Tang- 

 whacp," and that the nests are placed on exposed parts of the heath. Mr. Hewitson 

 also found it breeding on two of the Shetland Islands, Yell and Hascosea — wdiere, 

 however, it is rapidly decreasing in numbers. Mr. Dunn, who has several times 

 visited both the Orkney and the Shetland Islands, informed Mr. Yarrell that while 

 the Curlew and the Whimbrel do not associate together, he has found their nests 

 wdthin a gunshot of each other, and that the latter leave those islands as soon as the 

 breeding-season is over. 



The Whimbrel is said to feed on insects and worms, and their note to resemble the 

 syllables telly-telly-tet, rapidly enunciated. On the continent of Europe, and during 

 the breeding-season, this bird is found throughout Denmark, Scandinavia, and Eussia. 

 Mr. Hewitson met with it occasionally in the western part of Norw^ay, and Mr. 

 Dunn informed Mr. Yarrell that a few breed in Lapland as high as latitude 65°. It 

 is also a regular summer visitor to the Faroe Islands and Iceland. 



It is not known to breed on the southern coasts of England, yet small flocks have 

 been recorded by Mr. Knox as occurring in Sussex in the months of May and June. 



During the winter the Whimbrel is known to extend its migrations as far south as 

 Madeira, and in its journey ings it occurs in Holland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, 

 and in all the various islands of the Mediterranean. It is more common in Holland 

 than in any other country. It was found by Menefries, a Eussian naturalist, on the 

 borders of streams in the region of the Caucasus. It has been met with in various 



"O' 



