630 WHIMIJREL. 



in Greenland. In Iceland and the Faeroes it takes the place of the 

 Curlew, from the beginning of May till September ; while in Scan- 

 dinavia it nests on the fells and to the north of the limits of forest- 

 growth. In the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Russia it appears 

 to be very local, while the greater part of Siberia is inhabited by a 

 sub-species, JV. varicgatiis, with the rump more streaked in the adult 

 than in the young of our western form ; and this eastern repre- 

 sentative migrates southward to Australia. Our typical bird, how- 

 ever, visits a considerable portion of the Indian region, as well as 

 Mauritius and Madagascar, and in Africa is found down to Cape 

 Colony. Its wanderings extend westward to the Canaries and Azores, 

 and on passage it is found over Europe to the Mediterranean, 

 though it seldom occurs far inland. Its American representative, 

 JV. hudsonicus — with rufous axillaries — has been obtained in Iceland 

 and once in the south-west of Spain. 



A shallow depression in the herbage serves to contain the 4 eggs, 

 which are usually laid from the latter part of May to the middle 

 of June ; they are of two shades of olive-green, blotched with 

 brown : measurements 2*4 by 1*55 in. The Whimbrel is very pug- 

 nacious at its breeding-place, and I have seen it attack the Arctic 

 Skua, while Col. Feilden observed it driving away the Lesser Black- 

 backed Gulls, uttering its trilling cry, tett)\ tetty, tetfy, tet, as it darted 

 to and fro with rapid flight. Its food consists of small crus- 

 taceans, insects, worms, and land-shells, such as Helix ericetorum ; 

 and it is said to be partial to bilberries, for it feeds much more on 

 land than the Curlew. Owing to its note, " Titterel " is a common 

 name for this bird in Sussex, while in the south and west Whimbrels 

 are spoken of as " the Seven Whistlers," the rippling whistle being 

 often repeated seven times. 



This species is much smaller than the Curlew, from which it 

 furthers differs characteristically in the markings of the head, the 

 crown being dark brown with a broad pale streak down the middle ; 

 the general hue of the upper parts is darker, though otherwise 

 the plumage is similar ; the axillaries are white, barred with 

 brown. Length 17 '5 in. (bill 3*4), wing 10 in. ; the female being 

 rather larger than the male. The young are spotted on the back 

 and barred on the wing-coverts and secondaries with buffish-white, 

 a remarkably chequered appearance being thus produced ; the 

 rump is more or less streaked ; the axillaries are only slightly barred, 

 but the dark transverse markings on the tail-feathers are more 

 numerous and defined than in the adults. 



