SCOLOPACID/E. 



577 



THE CURLEW-SANDPIPER. 

 Tringa subarquata (Giildenstadt). 



This species, which derives its name from the fact of its decurved 

 bill resembling that of the Curlew, is an annual visitor — though 

 in varying numbers — to suitable parts of the coast of Great Britain, 

 especially the estuaries of the east side of Scotland, Noithumber- 

 land, the Humber district, Norfolk, Kent, Sussex, Hants, Dorset, 

 and westward to Cornwall, while it may also be found on inland 

 waters. On the west it is decidedly less frequent, and its occur- 

 rence in the north of Scotland, the Orkneys and Shetlands is 

 exceptional The principal influx — chiefly of young birds — takes 

 place in August and September, the journey southward being re- 

 sumed by the end of October ; but in Ireland, where the Curlew- 

 Sandpiper occurs every autumn, it has been known to remain in the 

 southern counties until November or even December. On tiie 

 spring pasi^age it has been met with as early as March iQth, and 

 birds in their red summer-dress continue to pass northwards till 

 June ; R. Gray has even cited a supposed instance of its breeding in 

 Scotland, though there is no evidence that the species was correctly 

 identified, and as a matter of fact the eggs, like those of the Knot, 

 are still unknown. 



The Curlew-Sandpiper has not yet been obtained in the Faeroes, 

 Iceland, Greenland, or Spitsbergen, while in Scandinavia and even 

 in Finland it is principally observed on the autumnal migration, 



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